• Amazing People,  Favorite Things,  Friends,  Fun in Chicago

    Delayed Re-entry

    What day is it again? *checks calendar* Ah yes, Thursday, July 23. Time flies when you’re having fun! This may be my most epic July ever. In fact, I don’t even have time to write an actual, well-thought-out post because I am about to get in my car and head up to Wisconsin for the day. The last couple of weeks have been crazy and fun, crazyfun. Last weekend was the eleventh annual BlogHer conference, in New York City. I say every year that BlogHer weekends are some of my favorite weekends ever ever ever, and this year was no different. In fact, the fun of it (and being around…

  • Best Thing Ever,  Favorite Things,  Friends,  Fun in Chicago,  Pretty Pictures,  Travels

    Wait, What Day Is This Again?

    And the month, please? Well, I’m kidding about the month part. I know exactly what month it is (April), because I’m in the thick of LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER season. I am seriously having trouble keeping track of the days, though. (I just looked; it’s Wednesday. In case you also wondered.) I just returned from a whirlwind trip to New York City (for the LTYM book launch) and New Jersey (to visit my other family) and I had all kinds of fun being completely relaxed and in a state of recharge, especially at this moment (Sunday afternoon) at this place (the beach in Seaside Heights) with my sistuh from anuthuh…

  • Travels

    Travel Itch

    I’m getting a little squirmy because it’s been absolutely forever since I’ve gone anywhere. OKAY, it’s been two weeks since we went to Wisconsin to move D into his new place. I don’t count that as traveling, though. It’s actually been two months since the last time I went somewhere that “counts” as traveling, and that was a pretty awesome trip to Miami (pretty sure I’m still hungover) and then a five-day cruise to the Bahamas. I shouldn’t complain, because most of you are likely thinking “Geez, it’s been a year (or two, or five, or whatever) since I’ve gotten out of town!” but I’m complaining anyway. These days I’ve…

  • Blessings,  Friends,  Jim Has Mad Skillz,  Travels

    Apparently My Word For 2014 Was “Travel”.

    This time last year I noticed many of my friends picking “a word for 2014”, something they would live by or strive for. I didn’t join in but it all worked out. As it turned out my word, “Travel”, found its way to me. While thinking about what kind of 2014 wrap-up post I wanted to write, what stuck out the most was how much travel I did this year. In fact, without even looking at my calendar to count days properly I figured out off the top of my head that I was away from my home for between six and eight weeks. That’s a lot of time living…

  • Best Thing Ever,  Favorite Things,  Something That Could Change Your Life

    Tea Obsessed.

    Here’s something that tends to shock people when they learn it: I don’t drink coffee. Never have. I love love love the smell of coffee. I despise despise despise the taste of coffee. All of THIS? *makes swooping hand motions around my effervescent self* Totally natural. That’s right: I’m a morning person who can jump up from my bed at o’dark thirty and sing happy songs before my feet actually hit the floor, with no external aids. My husband, who has been drinking coffee (no cream, no sugar) in copious amounts since his days as a Machinists’ Mate in the Navy, has tried to get me to start drinking it…