Tonight wasn't a weight watchers night. No, not even close.
Five Guys is an eatery known for it's fantastic burgers. I had my first experience tonight in Oak Park, where a Five Guys just opened. After weeks of TBF talking about this place (a Virginia native where Five Guys originates) or should I say FREAKING OUT about this place finally being near Chicago, I broke down and ate the burger ..yes...the entire thing (hey, atleast they have a "little burger" menu).
And I know what you're thinking...that looks disgusting. But no ladies, it's our minds playing tricks on us and TELLING us that it looks disgusting because we know the caloric content between those buns. Well, I'm sure it has a ton of calories, but I rarely splurge like this and I never have burgers because I'm not a huge fan.
The verdict: Scrumtralescently Delicious...
What has he done? Does he realize his Freck will now be 389,238 pounds?
On that note, I'm going to watch 10 Things I Hate About You and catch up on some Z's. Night!
While I'm not a huge fan of All-American Rejects, I cannot get Gives You Hell out of my head. I must also say that while I am very happy with TBF, and I have no intentions with the lyrics in this song at all, I still really enjoy it. It's so catchy!
www.youtube.com/watch?v-NtlPmGwKlzo
I would have embedded it but for some reason they wouldn't let me! Check it out anyway though, you'll be happy you did!
Bon Iver is one of my new loves (thanks to TBF). Skinny Love, my favorite song on the album is such a catchy song and if you browse some of the videos on YouTube, you'll see SO many awesome ones. Here are a two of my favorites.
Here they are live on Letterman.
...and here they are a cappella in a Paris hallway before a show. Make sure to watch the end to see all of the people on the other side of the hallway and the dog, what a cool little performance!!!
Do you guys remember Zooey Deschanel from Elf? Hello!? Can you say throwback??! Sweet Darlin' is so refreshing, happy, catchy and fun. I am lucky to say I went and saw her in Chicago at Park West with TBF and She & Him (the band she's in) were so amazing. She is adorable.
The sound quality on all of the videos of her live shows are terrible, so I have to give you the actual CD track. If you'd like to hear more though, go YouTube and search for She & Him : )
I love Jason Mraz. Lucky is one of my favorite songs, which features Colbie Caillat, who sang Bubbly. This song is very fun and carefree, a good song for you and your lovey dovey.
So that's all for now, I hope everyone enjoys my favorite videos for now. It's a bit eclectic...
Tonight was a great end to an off day. I had a frustrating time at work, and my roomies completely made me feel better without even trying. Nothing good music, laughs, a couple cocktails and appetizers (spinach and artichoke dip and mini quesadillas to be exact) can't cure, right? So lucky to have wonderful roomies.
Unfortunately our bill was rather large, darn gin and tonics + rum and cokes, but it was absolutely worth it. We ended up at our apartment with some wine, popcorn and Sex and the City, season 3. Awesome.
Of course, I had to check my blog and see if there are any new posts..and I discovered I have new followers, which is so awesome. Thanks new blog friends :)
So happy tomorrow is Friday. Time to cuddle with TBF (which I decided to change upon his request because he truly is so much more than that, so cute) and fall asleep. Good night!
So as I was trudging through the snow and ice this morning on my way to work, I started pondering my wardrobe for my spring break to HOPEFULLY Sandestin, FL. I sure hope plans work out, I'm concerned I'm turning into a cranky-pants due to the lack of sun in my life lately.
She's cranky because of the lack of sun lately, too.
Anyway, when I got to work, I sat down in my lovely cube and lo and behold, stumbled across an email from J. Crew about their giant sale and found some perfect items for the Florida weather. Then, I realized I should share that the majority of my wardrobe consists of...
...many simple and classic pieces that have gotten me through college. Over time I've learned that as long as I buy good quality pieces, I'll save money in the long run... A VERY hard realization to come to considering I see the plain shirts (a staple in my wardrobe) at Target for a steal at $11.99. Anyway, I love the plain and simple shirts at J. Crew, Martin + Osa-although it's my new love, and Banana because the quality shirts have really gone the distance throughout the years of terrible washing machines at school, traveling, parties, moves and the everyday wear and tear.
The simple long sleeve and short sleeve tees are so easy to mix and match with different wardrobes. I personally love the boat neck and scoop neck style because I feel it's the most flattering.
I tend to layer my cami's and shirts, sometimes pairing fun colored cami's underneath to dress the tee up a bit more. Also, accessories can really dress up the shirts.
Check out how J. Crew dresses up this simple white tee and cute shorts with a necklace that really makes the color in the shorts pop. Love it, so simple and easy and perfect for Florida weather!!!!
Oh! And I think I want a huge hat for Florida, too. Not only are they cute, but they'll protect my pale skin from getting burnt.
Look how massive Samantha's is in Sex and The City!
Nordstrom I was thinking this would be more my style...
I know this doesn't really doesn't have to do with my vacation wardrobe or my current wardrobe but...
My ode to black.. I usually stick with a black top, a fun pair of earrings or necklace, jeans and heels when I go out. This is because I don't go out as much as I used to..eek I sound like I'm 85 but hey, it's hard to find time when I have a part time job and like to be sitting in my cube by 7:30am, I'm going to school full time and graduating in May with classes starting at 8:15am downtown, andI've become a wine girl where I love to sit around with my roomies, friends and/or boyfriend and sit, laugh and enjoy my wine in my comfy clothes. The black top may sound boring, but it's a great fallback on the nights when you're not feeling so hot about your body since you didn't make it to the gym that day. Thank you black shirts, dresses, and skirts...you are my savior.
I've noticed I can't really wear pastels because I'm so pale and they completely wash me out. So the rich colors are what I try to focus on...and black :)
I have a focusing problem..
I'll keep everyone updated on the spring break plans. Does anyone have any fun/cheap and warm places vaca plans this spring??
SUCCESS!! I've done it! I've officially passed on my addiction-of-blogs gene to one of my dear roommates. I'll be sure to post the link of her blog as soon as she sends it to me. I'm not sure if she's posted anything yet, but I'm sure when she does it will be fantastic because A. she's clever and funny with her words, and B. it's a babysitting blog and she usually has some pretty interesting stories to share. Like the time she had to catch the Christmas tree as it was FALLING OVER so it wouldn't land on the baby. Right, roomie?
Some random thoughts:
I secretly love the security men who kind of remind me of super cool FBI agents in their nice suits in the entrance of my building who greet everyone when they walk in the door. Thanks for making me feel safe at work all day fellas!
FBI agent... reminded me of Miss Congeniality Love Sandra Bullock
Anyway... I made my coffee and brought it to work this morning. While this is very cost efficient and wonderful, it also has its downfalls. I drink almost the entire thing on the L before I get to work because it's so delicious (hello? DD Hazelnut, of course) and I think I subconsciously drink it quickly because I'm concerned this Chicago weather will make it freezing cold before I can enjoy it all. Basically, all I want to do is get to work and enjoy my coffee at my desk. Oh well, I'm still proud of myself for bringing my coffee and saving about $11 a week! Cha-ching!
So some of you have asked if Freck, is my real name. Sadly, no. It's a name TBF gave me last summer because I have tons of freckles on my shoulders. They really show up on my face when I'm in the sun for too long. I guess that's what you get if you have English, Irish, and Dutch in you, eh? Over the years I've grown to accept them and now I think I even like them.
Look at all her freckles! So cute!
I started blog with the intention of wanting to remain completely incognito, and I still kind of do. However, I'm beginning to feel more comfortable sharing more. Is this how it usually goes? Am I going through the maturing stage of the blogging process? ;)
Victoria tries to be incognito, too...I understand her stress... ;)
So, I thought if I'm going to start sharing more "personal" things about my life, I feel I should take after some of my favorite blogs and begin creating code letters for them to make it easier for everyone. They're pretty simple acronyms, but I should probably point them out just in case. I'll add them to my little info bar on the right.
One of my roomies (I have two), who doesn't have a blog YET, but who also has become minorly addicted to checking blogs, pointed this blog out to me: The Heir to Blair. If you want a good chuckle, click there, now. She's a funny gal.
I'm so excited that I have a couple new followers. It makes me even more addicted to the blog world. If anyone has any tips, etc. they'd like to share, send 'em my way!! Oh, and one last thing...
Do these outfits from Martin + Osa make you crave spring/summer?? I want warm weather, Stat!
I uploaded one of my paintings as the header to spice up my page a bit. My page was a little boring; I'm still working on how to spruce it up, but for now I will add this little customized touch.
I have a few favorite TV shows that I feel I must share with you. I can tell I'm getting older because I'm not obsessed with shows on MTV anymore, haha. Anyway, here's my list of favorite shows.
The Biggest Loser. If you watch this show, you'll know what I'm talking about with what I have to say. JOELLE, GET THE EFF OFF THIS SHOW. Okay anyway, if you don't watch this show, you should. The Biggest Loser is so inspiring with the amount of weight these people lose per week (yes, they do workout 6 - 7 hours a day, but still). Plus, I love Bob and Jillian (the contestant's super toned trainers).
Here's Joelle at her best.
Paula's Party. Paula Dean has a fairly new show which is always fun and everything she makes is delicious looking (Hello!?! She always uses a stick of butter..). I love watching her flirt with the younger men in the audience and she's sometimes shockingly in appropriate which is hilarious. She's the southern grandma/aunt I never had.
Platinum Weddings. I discovered this show awhile ago, and no, I'm not planning a wedding anytime soon, but it's so fun to see these people with massive amounts of disposable income plan these luxurious weddings. It's like My Super Sweet 16on steroids, and with weddings rather than birthdays. This may be the only place you can see a Cinderella wedding cake valued at $4,000. Oh, and another difference between My Super Sweet 16 and Platinum Weddings is how the (in the Platinum Weddings episodes that I've seen atleast,) couples aren't super annoyingly spoiled and bratty like the kids from My Super Sweet 16.
The Today Show. Okay I know this sounds lame, but my ideal morning would consist of waking up, making my hazelnut coffee, sitting down on the couch with my computer and cereal and watching The Today Show. I love seeing what Meredith and Ann are wearing, I love Matt Lauer no matter what he's wearing or saying and Al's just goofy.
Matt Lauer interviewing Christian Bale. Bad quality, but I heart CB.
So I know this doesn't highlight how much I love the cast of the Today Show, but I love Feist, so this is kind of a twofer :)
Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth on the Today Show. I love Wicked, couldn't help myself.
Ellen. I LOVE Ellen. Simply put. Her show is nothing but funny, I don't think I've ever been anything but happier than after I watch her show.
I think this is my favorite clip out of all of the ones listed. Paris Hilton and Ellen.
So this was quite recent. George Clooney had never been on Ellen's show, and on many episodes of hers, she was seen bribing him somehow so he'd come on her show. This is George Clooney FINALLY getting on her show, but first she conned him into coming on with two of his favorite baseball players.
Ace of Cakes. They make awesome cakes, and they're all usually for cool causes. The host is hilarious, and all of the people that work there have a funny sense of humor and are very talented. They can make anything that you ask them to.
Chuck. It's a fairly new show. It's basically about an average nerd who has been recruited into the secret service because he has the world's greatest spy secrets embedded into his brain. Hilarious, witty and adorable.
Unwrapped. I love this show, I'm not fond of Marc Summers, but to see how so many different foods are made is really cool and interesting to me. Every factory is different and I love how each company has their secrets of how they make their food.
I'm sure I have more favorites, but these are all I can think of right now :)
I have stumbled across some new favorites, and although I don't own one of them yet, I plan to do so soon.
I saw this kind of hat a couple days ago in the RedEye and I fell in love with it. I've seen them before, but I didn't know what they were called so it was difficult for me to find it online. It's called a cloche hat, and I think they are absolutely adorable. It's a fitted, bell-shaped hat that was popular during the 1920s They're quite classic looking so they I don't foresee them "going out of style" anytime soon, and plus they're structured so I can't imagine they would mess up the "do" so I'm pretty sure I'll invest in one. There are some classic looking hats, and some pretty ridiculous looking ones. I thought I'd share what I found on my hunt for the cutest cloche hat : )
The more I look at this one the more it grows on me. I like how there is unique detail to it, but it's not anything crazy nor is it a different color which could make it difficult to put with an outfit.
Here is a classic looking camel-colored cloche hat with minimal "decor" on it, which would make it easy to pair with different outfits.
Here we have Ms. Angelina sporting the cloche hat in the movie Changeling. I keep going back and forth on this particular cloche because of the bow/ribbon combo. However I feel that with the right outfit, it could be absolutely adorable.
My hunt for the perfect and reasonably priced cloche hat has begun. Hopefully I find one before the weather in Chicago becomes too warm for it.
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So I just received my first Longchamp tote in the mail yesterday, and I LOVE IT. I've seen this bag all over the place for about a year now, and I couldn't understand what all the hype was about other than it was a really cute bag. Well, I'm happy to say, that the size I got, which I believe is the largest one you can get with the longest handle (which is perfect for toting your books and laptop) is PERFECT. When I transferred the items I'd had in my old tote into my new Longchamp yesterday, I was thrilled to see that I can fit SO much more! I'm going to have to watch myself though, I don't want to have bruised shoulders and develop a crooked back just because I can bring my entire entertainment system with me everywhere. Anywho, here's my beautiful, red Le Pliage Longchamp tote.I hope you've enjoyed my recent favorites, more to come soon!
So last week, my roommate and I had seen on the news that if you threw boiling water into the air, it would freeze before it hit the ground. It's been up to a -40 windchill in Chicago, so we were positive this would be the most awesome experiment ever...so we decided we'd try out the experiment ourselves. What did we have to lose?
Well, we have the boiling water ready and I have camera in hand. We step out the back door and into the back yard to carry out our experiment. After throwing the boiling water into the snow (because it didn't freeze before it hit the ground...boo), we turned around to go back inside. This is where the next 25 minutes are slightly panicked and scary, but is now funny and ridiculous looking back.
The door was locked. There we are, me in slippers, jeans and a fleece, and my roommate in her jacket and slippers as well, in a snow filled backyard which is completely gated and fenced so we would need a key just to get out. We were trapped. This would be decent on a normal winter day, but it was 2 degrees out. At first, we started laughing at how dumb of a move that was (which by the way, I have footage of my roommate shutting the door, haha), then we realized that Oh dear lord...it's freezing and we need to find a way out or else something could happen to us.
So my roommate walks on the side of our apartment toward our gate through a foot and a half of snow in her slippers to go shout for someone on the street to borrow their phone, and I go up the back deck to pound on the door with hope that someone will hear me and help us so we could atleast go inside so we're warm. No one answers my pounding, but my roommate found someone on the street, embarassingly asked for their phone, and started calling anyone we knew so they could help us...which was hard because she was dialing numbers by memory on a phone with a dying battery.
She couldn't get ahold of anyone, so 911 it was. This is when our neighbor on the top floor of our apartment started walking down the stairs because he was taking out the trash...I ran up to him, totally frazzled and shaking at this point (it'd been about 15-20 minutes) and asked if we could go up to his apartment to warm up. He said absolutely and up we all went...then we started hearing sirens. I was sure they weren't for us, I mean we live in Chicago, we hear sirens all the time.
Well, they were for us, and we looked out the window on the top floor of the apartment and saw a fire truck taking up our entire one way street and 5-6 huge firemen walking toward our apartment. So, basically they broke into our apartment and let us in...and no we didn't tell them what we were doing when were locked out.
Since I had my camera...I thought it was the perfect opportunity to take some pictures:
Note to self, always take your keys outside with you, especially if it's 2 degrees out.
I'd like to travel more in 2009. I only have one life and only so much time, right? Oh, and doggonit soon I will be having to strap on my big girl pants and I won't get the opportunity to travel as much as I'd like. So, the sooner I plan and save, the sooner I can say bon voyage to this FREEZING city and be off to a lovely get away.
The first place I'd like to visit, as many close friends of mine know, is Ireland. I almost studied abroad there, but my parents advised against it since the class was covering economics and I'm a marketing major. So? Oh well, not many people can say they've been to Beijing, and I had a blast. Anyway, I have some ancestors in Ireland, including a long lost relative who was a priest. I'd love to see the area where he grew up and learn more about my family's history.
Another place I'd like to revisit soon, is SanDestin, Florida. I call it old people's Disney World because it's so relaxing and fun. Your day could potentially consist of going to the beach, renting some bikes and riding them around the resort area/beaches, going to a seafood restaurant on the beach, going to "The Village" where you can browse some cute boutiques with monogrammed items (MY FAVORITE!), getting a cozy buzz at Hammerheads, going for a run/walk and admire all the cute cottages, playing tennis, and the list goes on. It's a beautiful area located on the pan handle of Florida.
This may be a stretch for 2009, but I’d absolutely love to visit Italy. I’m one of the few people I know who haven’t been, and it’s about time I visit! The pictures I’ve seen are beautiful, and I’d love to specifically see some of the art and architecture as well as the clothes. Some friends who have studied abroad in Rome have brought back some pretty fantastic leather boots…I may have to invest in some as well when I’m go…
