April 2012
30 posts
Ravinia tickets go on sale today!
Ravinia is an outdoor concert venue in the northern suburbs of Chicago. I’ve only seen one show there (Swell Season, summer ‘10, AMAZING), but the venue is a little slice of heaven. Jump on the Metra train right after work and get off at a stop right across the street. Go for lawn seats, not seats in the amphitheater (trust me). Pack a fancy picnic: some champagne, cheese and the like...
This past weekend, one of my friends told me that...
a note on falling too hard too fast
I recently met a wonderful man, or as I once referred to him on here, a new friend. We met one night at the RL restaurant and struck up an easy conversation sitting at the bar. A few Manhattans, laughs, and hours later I realized what a wonderful joy it was to have this instant chemistry we were both feeling. And so I let myself go with it, got swept up in the romance. We both did. A whirlwind of...
Operation find-a-spring-jacket has begun. And this one is my favorite, I’m a sucker for capes. On a mission to find this in my size tomorrow after work.
Belted Cape Jacket
*I called 5 GAP stores on Friday (I was determined) and tracked down the only small in the area, on sale for $25 this weekend (and shipping to me for free next week, courtesy of Banana Luxe Card perks). Success!
Madewell Denim Road Trip
Mark your calendars, Chicago. Madewell is hitting the road in a silver bullet van and traveling the US for a denim road trip! They’ve kicked off the journey in New York this week and will be hitting Chicago on Saturday April 28th, Outside the Tribune Building, 12-5pm. I think I’m due for a new pair of jeans.
Lollapalooza Lineup is Live! →
The Black Keys / Red Hot Chili Peppers / Jack White / Florence + The Machine / The Shins / Passion Pit / Sigur Ros / Of Monsters and Men / M83 / Miike Snow / Passion Pit / The Temper Trap / Metric / Santigold / Delta Spirit / The Head & The Heart / Alabama Shakes / Gary Clar Jr. / Blind Pilot / The Walkmen / The Gaslight Anthem / Fun. / Dr. Dog / Chairlift / Bombay Bicycle Club / Oberhoefer
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Icons At The Pump Room
A new friend and I recently spent an evening where he walked me through Icons At the Pump Room, a book he received as a gift when the Public Hotel opened in Chicago this past fall with a re-imagined Pump Room. The book is comprised entirely of photos (no captions with names). I was amazed at his ability to correctly name 95% of the celebrities and important figures from the photos (unfortunately...
Sam Edelman for AEO Gladiator
I love döner kebabs
Döner kebab: basically a spicy gyro with many toppings, a.k.a. one of my favorite Turkish foods. One of the best variations we tried came from Kizilkayalar, located in Taksim. This street food joint had been visited and highlighted by Anthony Bourdain in No Reservations: Istanbul. Just amazing, my mouth is watering writing this post.
Istanbul / March 2012
Cafe Susam
A favorite dinner from the trip was an evening spent at Cafe Susam. I was our first night in Istanbul, and although feeling the jet lag begin to creep in we battled through the sleepiness and ventured out. One reason we planned our trip for this time of year (other than airfare was insanely cheap) was because Lizzy’s sister Caroline and boyfriend were coming off of a year teaching English in...
Istanbul's French Street: Fransiz Sokagi
Lizzy, one of my friends and travel mates, lived in Istanbul for two years during high school. She was our gracious tour guide, language teacher, and head navigator throughout the trip (seriously, I don’t think cabs would even have gotten us where we wanted to go without her help). In high school she had once been taken on a date to a restaurant in the French Street (Fransiz Sokagi) near the...
Sightsee, stop for a long leisurely lunch. Sightsee, stop for a glass of wine before heading home to freshen up for dinner. This is my kind of vacation and that’s exactly how we tackled our week in Istanbul. One day while in the old city of Sultanahmet we were derailed from our mission to see the Topkapi Palace when we stumbled upon The Four Seasons Istanbul at Sultanahmet. Lizzy encouraged...
Worth it: cocktails on the patio of the Ciragan...
While the most pricey of the cocktails we enjoyed in Istanbul (around $20 USD), this was one of the most delicious glasses of wine I had during our trip. But how could it not be? It was the late afternoon and after having enjoyed some sightseeing during the morning, we had become a bit tired and found a seat at a table on the beautiful patio of the ornate Ciragan Palace to give our tired feet a...
Scenes from a night out in the Taksim neighborhood after dinner with Lizzy’s high school friend David and his family at a traditional Turkish restaurant. David’s dad was a hoot-he told the most entertaining stories and ordered a spread of nearly everything on the menu. I tried brain and tongue (even I’m impressed with these adventurous eating habbits(!), but this was the open...
Istanbul neighborhoods: Ortaköy
One of my favorite neighborhoods we explored was Ortaköy. Cobblestone streets weaved through shops, restaurants, bars, and nightclubs. On the weekend street vendors come out to sell jewelry, pottery, etc. and it’s fun to just browse. This neighborhood is also famous for a traditional food that looks like an extremely loaded baked potato (more topping options that I could list), but I was not...
Istanbul Modern
The Istanbul Modern was one of my favorite places we went during the visit. It was one of the places I had so much excitement about before our trip and it did not disappoint. The museum opened in 2004 and serves as a celebration of Turkish artistic creativity. I especially enjoyed the beautiful photography exhibit. The museum forbade taking pictures inside, but that didn’t stop me of...
Efes, our go-to beer during vacation. Also, I laughed more frequently during our trip that I can ever remember. Great company with my longtime friend Ashley (pictured) and Lizzy. Ashley bought a journal the first day of the trip to keep track of what we did, but also to record all the hilarious encounters and small jokes we had from just a week vacation. Genius.
Istanbul / March 2012
I could start every morning this way: leisurely teatime overlooking the main drag in the Taksim neighborhood, accompanied by Lizzy teaching a lesson in important Turkish sayings to get down during our visit (thank you, please, too expensive-this would come in handy when bartering in the market). From left to right: latte, Turkish tea, elma chai (apple tea). At the 4th floor heated balcony of...
Craving a little sunshine
I’m currently being drawn to bright sunny shades of yellow. Yellow’s just a happy color, don’t you think?
polka dot jeans / yellow rimmed shades / colorblock tote / flats / rain slicker / tote / suitcase
A perfect LBD for Spring by Tibi.
One of many reasons to attend the Green City Market this Saturday.
Of Monsters and Men finally released their full...
an evening in Memphis
Since returning from Istanbul, life has been a little crazy (but in a good way). Busy work days and social plans, I am a girl that suffers from FOMO (fear of missing out). I promise I will be posting pictures and recommendations from my visit within the week (before I forget too!).
Today was an exciting day because I headed out early this morning to Memphis for my first business trip! After...
