This Moment

The City I Live In

Although I get lonely and I haven't really adjusted to living here, I think I could really come to love Chicago. There are a lot of things I love about it, I'm just lacking people to explore and experience the city with me. It really is a fantastic city, and I know that it's dirty and can be dangerous, but there is quite a bit of beauty here as well.

This is from the first week I got here. It was foggy and gloomy, but wonderful and new.

My dad and me. He was delighted that we live in walking distance from such a big and lovely body of water. If it wasn't for him I probably wouldn't have even thought to think about this. I tend to accept things as they are without much thought or question sometimes. This can be both good and bad.

This beach is literally a 10 minute walk away. Gorgeous.

These flowers are on our street, right outside the apartment. They make me smile every day when I walk by them.

One of the beaches nearby has paintings on the rock steps that go down to the sand. There's all kinds of different styles and pictures, even images carved into the stone somehow. This is one of my favorites.

These are part of a mural/mosaic under one of the bridges. They are so beautiful and really make what would be a creepy ugly space so bright and welcoming.

Currently

Loving: 90s music. It's all I've been listening to today. I have an excellent 90s playlist on my Spotify that I'm constantly adding to.

Thinking about: Going back to school for design. I want to make cookbooks and coffee table books as a career. Like, large books with really beautiful images but also really great writing. At least I think that's what I want to do. I'm looking into the Art + Design program at Colombia College here in Chicago.

Anticipating: Going home for a visit in July. I know it's a really long time away and surely there must be something to look forward to that's happening sooner than that. But I'm really missing my friends and family back home and I've been thinking about them a lot lately.

Reading: Julia Child's My Life in France. I love the Julie & Julia movie, so I decided I should probably read (one of) the books it's based on. Loving it! I read it with Meryl Streep's Julia Child voice in my head.

Eating: Too damn much. I really need to start making healthier choices. Blah. I have a smoothie almost every morning, which are delicious and healthy, but I eat way too much at lunch and dinner. I just need to work on that little thing they call willpower.

Wishing: I had girl friends here. I'm grateful for the few friends I've made here but I just really miss my girls back home. I miss watching chick flicks and having dance parties. I get along with all of the girls I work with but I just don't click with them.

Easter

I'm not real big on Easter. Despite my Catholic upbringing it just doesn't have any real significance to me. I also have some bad memories associated with Easter that I won't get into here. 

But I guess bunnies are pretty cute or whatever.

The thing I like about Easter is getting together with family to eat! We don't have a traditional meal that we serve every year. I think sometimes we have ham and the past few years my sister and her husband have hosted Easter lunch and made pork or some sort of meat and then the rest of us bring sides and dessert. This year, I'll be away from my immediate family for the first time. And I'll be working, which is actually fine by me. 

My niece (cutest kid ever) and me a couple Easters ago.

Here are some Easter inspirations that I will not be using, but I think they're adorable anyhow.

This Malted Mousse Cake looks amazing and I'll definitely have to try it sometime, maybe for another holiday or special occasion.

These cream cheese-filled jello eggs are a cute twist on traditional deviled eggs.

These rainbow jello eggs are pretty flippin' sweet too.

Cheesecake filled chocolate eggs! How clever is that?

This table-scape is absolutely gorgeous. Flowers definitely remind me of Easter, especially lillies and daffodils.

My mom decorates the house for every holiday and she likes to get creative with cute centerpieces. She's made something similar to this before. Peeps are definitely one of my favorite parts of Easter.

Chocolate covered marshmallow eggs are my other favorite Easter basket standard. This cheap brand is the best. We got the fancy kind one year and they were not even as delicious.

Photo a Day

25. Breakfast

26. Key

27. Your name

28. Trash

29. Feet

30. Toy

31. Where you relax