that new radiohead song

forget about the fact that it looks like thom yorke has tourette's syndrome. i'm obsessed with this video right now.

book art

the genius behind this is isaac salazar. by folding the pages of these books, he's come up with a twist on the old pop-up book. 

pretty amazing, right?

a confession

i sometimes have a dirty mouth. in my defense, i usually only swear, cuss, curse (whatever you call it) out loud when i’m around my fiance or very close friends. and, also in my defense, the foul words don’t carelessly fly out of my mouth-- they are often deliberate and befitting in most circumstances.

still, i don’t like it. years ago, a great friend of mine told me that she doesn’t swear because she thinks that curse words don’t help her express herself any better than non-curse words. so, why start? she has a good point. but swearing, if the situation permits, can be so right. allow me to elaborate:

exhibit a: the wrong:
“oh, f--k, i totally forgot to get my clothes out of the washer!”
“that mailroom guy has been such a d--k lately.”

exhibit b: the right:
“wow, that 12 course thai meal at arun’s was f------ fabulous.”
“love, some ass---- totally stole your parking space.”

exhibit c: the understandable:
“s---, i stubbed my toe in the bathtub!”

right, wrong, or understandable, i still feel a little awkward admitting this bad habit of mine. so, i think i’ll stop swearing soon, one step at a time. starting with the exhibit a category, of course.

valentine’s day plans?

yes, please! some call it a “commercial holiday”, others call it a “hallmark holiday”, but for the past few years, andre and i have called it “another excuse to celebrate.” :) he finds the prettiest, glitziest valentine’s day cards for me (he knows i love those!) and writes the sweetest messages on them. i try do the same-- only i get him funny cards, not glittery ones. we might also decide to go out for a nice dinner downtown or stay in and order a heart-shaped pizza from our favorite pizzeria.

this year, we’ve decided to go out for thai, but not at just any thai restaurant. the thai restaurant... the thai restaurant on the 1,000-places-to-see-before-you-die list! the thai restaurant that wolfgang puck called “the best thai restaurant in the country”! wolfgang puck! 

maybe i’m a little too excited about this high-end twelve course meal that we’ve scheduled for sunday night (we’re celebrating a day early). but, really, if wolfgang puck thinks it’s amazing, it must be pretty good, right?

do you have any fun plans for valentine’s day?

brain game

a coworker shared this with me today, and i thought it was so fun!

"the trick is to find the man in the coffee beans:

doctors have concluded that if you find the man in the coffee beans in 3 seconds, the right half of your brain is better developed than most people. if you find the man between 3 seconds and 1 minute, the right half of the brain is developed normally. if you find the man between 1 minute and 3 minutes, then the right half of your brain is functioning slowly and you need to eat more protein. if you have not found the man after 3 minutes, the advice is to look for more of this type of exercise to make that part of the brain stronger!!"

i'll admit that the paragraph above is a little ridiculous, but i love games like these. i spotted the man in the coffee beans in under 3 seconds, but that's because i've played a lot of "find mii" on wii, so this was a cinch. :)

happy friday!

snowcation

we are so amazingly snowed in that i was excused from work yesterday and today! here is a photo of the view outside my apartment building door-- the cars are still totally covered in mounds of snow like this:

thanks to the mini snowcation, my favorite person and i got to enjoy this:

champagne and a little childhood favorite called the grilled cheese sandwich.

some cleaning and shoveling-- side note: isn’t that graffiti art so cool?

movies. finally watched “the red ballon” and liked it a lot.
if you’re at all into french cinema,
and have a short attention span like me (only 30+ minutes long!),
you might like it too.

board games like scattergories, chess, and even a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle of klimt’s, the kiss.
a couple of hours into the puzzle,
we realized that we lacked puzzle-piecing ambition and gave up. :)

and, last but not least, skinny cow ice cream sandwiches!
why hadn’t i tried these sooner?
they are fantastic.

strangeness on “snow-mageddon”

it’s supposed to be the worst snowstorm that will hit chicago in twenty years. and, starting in just a few hours, the snow will accumulate to up to twenty inches. that’s a whole lot of snow, but is it so much to be concerned over? doubt it. what does concern me a bit, though, are a few strange things that i’ve come across in the past 24 hours, which must totally be connected to this impending snow-mageddon:

1. the mysterious wrench on my bathroom floor mat

i don’t know how it got there, and it’s unsettling to know that somebody was in my apartment while i was at work, without my permission. maybe it has something to do with our landlord taking precautions so that our water pipes don’t freeze during the snowstorm? who knows, but the wrench is still sitting on my bathroom floor mat.

2. grocery shopping craze

have you seen any news images/videos of grocery shoppers (prayers go out to them) in cairo? well, it’s not so different here in chicago right now. andre had to appear in court today for a minor car accident he was involved in (long story short: he hit a car after his car tires slipped on the road a few weeks ago, and so he got a ticket, which was dismissed today). i went to court with him this morning, and he took me grocery shopping afterward. the store was so packed that we had to wait 15 minutes for an available grocery cart.

even the traffic lady took a break from work to go grocery shopping. i love that she had a STOP sign in her cart! :)

3. a judge’s lecture on safe driving

 the “i-don’t-bite” judge that dismissed andre’s ticket gave us all a lecture on speeding, driving without seat belts on, drunk driving, driving while angry, and texting while driving. he seemed like a nice guy, and it was an interesting lecture... the only thing is that i was a little perplexed about whether a lecture like that is standard before court hearings.

eyebrow raisers aside, i’m so excited to wake up tomorrow morning to the sight of almost two feet of white snow covering our city.

tgif

i'm so relieved that the weekend is here! no interesting plans this weekend for me, even though i am sure that my fiance will want to take me out somewhere tonight or tomorrow... but... i think this picture sums up my feelings right now:

as much as i love to go out and spend time with friends, sometimes a girl needs a night in. a netflix sort of night in.  :)

wedding venue? check!

i finally signed the contract today. the one that guarantees a beautiful ballroom at a luxurious hotel in downtown chicago for our wedding on december 11th. and i'm e-c-s-t-a-t-i-c. securing a wedding venue is a pretty big deal, and i'm so glad it all worked out.

it's a block away from the willis tower (formerly the sears tower), and the place where we'll exchange our vows. yup, we're having our ceremony here too. it's really the perfect spot for an interfaith and multicultural wedding. very neutral.

i'm counting the days.

lovely oils

one of the many reasons i started blogging is because i felt like i needed another creative outlet. at work, my creative outlet is my newsletter. outside of work? other than dining at some of the top rated restaurants in the city and checking out cool live music from time to time, nothing immediately comes to mind. i love to paint, but the cold weather makes it tough since i cannot open any windows to air out the paint fumes. and painting without proper ventilation gives me headaches, so it's really not an option this time of the year. 

even though blogging is delightful, i sure do miss my oils. 

one type of oil that i use year round is of the olive variety.  :) ever since i can remember, i've heard all about the health and beauty benefits of olive oil. most of us know that it's a tasty, healthy fat that helps prevent heart disease, and it makes your hair look really shiny and soft (after a single hair conditioning!). but there are other really interesting benefits too...

got an earache or excess wax? apply warm olive oil to your ear. cat developing a hairball? put some olive oil in his food to help it clear easily. hubby's snoring out of control? have him drink a tiny bit of olive oil-- it will soothe the throat muscles and prevent the snoring. wild, huh?

i heart my mommy

my mom had heart surgery yesterday, and everything went incredibly well. for months she'd been telling me about her heart beating irregularly any time she would workout or feel stressed. she finally went to a cardiologist for a diagnosis after a scary trip to the ER, and here we are a few weeks later. my mom and i are really close, and i feel like our relationship is even stronger after spending the day at the hospital with her. she means the world to me. 

i'm so thankful that she seems to be recovering quickly.

bloggers and their bags

i have no idea who started this trend, but it's interesting enough, so i've hopped on the blogging bandwagon (really, i can't wait to see what i would carry around ten years from now). all you do is dump everything out of your purse, take a photo of its contents, briefly describe everything you've got in it, and into the blogosphere it goes! 

the contents of my bag haven't changed very much since i graduated college. anywho, here they are:

1. pocket mirror - i rarely use this, but it comes in handy from time to time. and this is my newest pocket mirror-- from paris, and tres cute, if i may say so.

2. business cards - when i first started working in the real world, i would go back and forth about keeping these in my purse (cons: they will get all over my bag, it seems a tad presumptuous, etc). but, since people will randomly ask me for them, i keep them-- mainly because it saves me time and effort-- it's just much easier for me to pull one out of my purse versus scrawling my information on a piece of scrap paper.

3. hand sanitizer - always. always.

4. burt's bees lip balm - it's rosy and silky. smells great, too.

5. eye drops - i wear contact lenses and blinking isn't my thing so much.

6. blackberry curve - my favorite berry.

7. wallet - found this in a boutique shop in rogers park, and i get lots of compliments on it.

8. iTouch - soon i will upgrade its boring skin.

9. notebook - for anything. but mainly foreign language notes. :)

10. the economist - i'm a closet geek. if this isn't in my bag, then a good book is in there for sure.

a couple of other things you might find in my purse depend on my health (tissues/meds) and the weather (sunglasses/gloves).

poppity pop pop

the first time i read about pop-up shops, it was in reference to their growing popularity in Asian countries, where (especially luxury) consumerism is arguably more ubiquitous than in the US. for those unfamiliar with pop-up retail, you've probably seen them in the form of Halloween costume shops or any other seasonal storefront or kiosk. but there are much cooler sorts of pop-up stores: antique shops, jewelry shops, clothing shops, shoe shops, art shops, music shops-- you name it, and it's probably been out there, promoting it's no-name self somewhere in the states. sometimes they pop-up for a day, sometimes a few weeks.

there are also pop-up shops that really surprise you. vitamin water, anybody?

or, the one that recently surprised me the most:

i guess now that sex and the city isn't advertising for them, they are taking matters into their own hands. :)

chicago needs to be hit with some fun pop-up shops, and with so many empty storefronts, i'm sure most landlords would be happy to rent out their space. so, chicago? get to work. creative and unique small businesses only (nothing mainstream, please). k. thx. bye.

a post about a post

don't you just hate it when you lose a glove? even if you've got other pairs sitting in your closet, it still stings a little to lose one. and it especially stings to lose your absolute favorite pair of bright yellow, convertible glove mitts that have a. prevented frostbite, b. given you such easy access to texting your little fingers away on your blackberry, and c. matched your bright yellow knit hat so well. two mornings ago, i was certain i had lost my favorite yellow glove-- the one without a missing button. but, as always, i was hopeful that i'd find it either on my way home or in my apartment. sure enough, my yellow glove was cheerfully sitting on a silver platter stair post in my building corridor, waiting to be reunited with its owner.

now, this isn't a first. i happen to believe that there is a lost-and-found fairy in our apartment who places missing items on this very stair post. in the past year, i've been reunited with my missing lip balm, an earring, and even a rent check! my conscious would be delighted if this do-gooder revealed herself because i would really like to thank her. i've decided the fairy is a woman-- most men wouldn't notice a missing anything if it hit them in the head. :)

anywho, since i can't send her my appreciation directly, i'm going to put it out there in the web world: thank you so much, dear lost-and-found fairy!

on second thought, i think i'll thank her via post-it instead.

let me eat cake

i have no problem owning up to the fact that i would much rather spend time browsing through photos of voguish wedding cakes versus checking out wedding dresses. it's not that i don't appreciate fashion (i totally do), but pretty cakes make me happy! at this point, i've looked at so many pictures of decadent wedding cakes that my head spins whenever i think about them, so i've shifted gears just a tad... my latest cake obsession? 

the wedding cake topper.

who knew that there were so many different kinds of toppers? the humorous ones are my favorite, but i just don't think it fits our wedding theme or style (we're still trying to figure this out, by the way). so, since it's not likely that you will see one of these babies on top of our cake, i wanted to at least add a few of them to my blog for fun's sake.

may i introduce you to...?

the picture perfect couple

the power couple

the PDA* couple

(they just can't get enough of each other!)

the sweet couple

 

the shower-me-with-kisses** couple

*PDA = Public Display of Affection, of which i am not a fan.

**more PDA, but it's just so darn cute. and it's under an umbrella, so it's not too public. plus those rain boots she's wearing? love.

plumbers' paradise

we have no running water. this never happens. i realized this almost immediately after stepping into my apartment today. you see, after hastily dropping my purse, hat, scarf, and gloves on my hallway chair, then hanging up my winter coat in the coat closet, i routinely walk over to the kitchen to wash my hands. some call it OCD. i call it CTA (that’s Chicago Transit Authority for you non-Chicagoans). riding on public transit during rush hour traffic in downtown Chicago makes me feel uneasy. from germ-infested poles and railings to sardine-packed passengers coughing in your face. oof, it can be stressful enough to make you feel that you need to shower immediately. but my feelings of uneasiness are quickly wiped from my memory after a solid hand washing.

so, what to do without any running water? hand sanitizer. twice applied. still not enough to feel satisfyingly clean. feeling dirty and hungry, i head over to my favorite coffee shop, where i am sitting now, to wash my hands and treat myself to a hot meal. much better, but i have to admit that a beautiful, warm bath would be the icing on the cake.

this one would do the trick. maybe my luck will turn tomorrow.

my favorite salad

now that holiday binging has come to an end, most of us are feeling more conscious about what we are eating these days, so i thought i would share a healthy favorite of mine. one of the salads i often crave is Cosi's Signature Salad. it's just so well balanced! below is a modified version of a recipe i found on Google a while back-- if i don't have time to make the dressing, i use a couple of tablespoons of this Litehouse Garlic and Olive Oil vinaigrette i buy at my local grocery store.

signature salad
4 ounces mixed greens
1 cup red grapes, sliced in half
1 pear, peeled, cored, and diced
1/3 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup shelled pistachios
1 ounce feta or gorgonzola cheese

sherry shallot vinaigrette
1/2 medium shallot, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
1/2 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/16 cup sherry vinegar (if you can’t find sherry vinegar, substitute red wine vinegar)
1/8 cup olive oil (2 tablespoons)

to prepare the salad, combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl.

combine all dressing ingredients through the vinegar in a small bowl and whisk to combine. whisking constantly, slowly pour olive oil into the vinegar mixture in a steady stream. pour over salad and toss to combine.

serve immediately, and voila! a wonderfully tasty and healthy salad for two.

"i like to postpone that kind of thing" -johnny depp

he's referring to trips to the dentist. and, years ago, i would have agreed with the lovely mr. depp if it were not for two reasons:

1. i realized that my oral hygiene regimen is subpar,
which means no more sticky, sugary candy (my archenemy) and more frequent brushing after every meal. last month my dentist brought much-needed attention to my sugar abuse problem when she said, "look, you're young, and you're pretty, but you've got to take better care of your teeth... do you eat really sticky candy?" guilty as charged. mortified by the number of cavities i had (they've been filled since), i haven't touched candy in weeks, but there's no harm in looking at it, right?

2. i love going to the dentist!
let me explain. i know it sounds a bit unorthodox, but i really get a kick out of my dentist and her assistants. they are so fun and charismatic that you sometimes forget about the cavity filling process and enjoy their laugh-out-loud stories. feeling generous and full of holiday spirit last month, i decided to surprise them with cupcakes during one of my dentist appointments. i thought it might be a faux pas to bring sweets to their office, but everyone craves a little sugar once in a while! and, man, did they enjoy the cupcakes.

today was my last visit to the dentist (for gum scaling, in case you were wondering), and i'm actually relieved. as entertained as i felt during my visits, my teeth and gums need at least a six month break from the dentist. oh, and, laughing at jokes when somebody is drilling inside your mouth? so challenging and almost not worth it. almost.

farewell, 2010! well, hello there, 2011!

2010. the most fabulous year of my life so far. i got engaged to my best friend, had very cool opportunities in my workplace, traveled to dozens of foreign cities, expanded my social circle, learned some português and français, sampled a bounty of exotic foods (and never once got sick!), felt more humbled and inspired than ever, wrote a lot about all kinds of things, took too many artsy photos, purchased my first Mac laptop and got engaged to my best friend.  : )

while new year’s resolutions aren’t really my thing, i think that the beginning of a new year is as good a time as any to reflect on the past year(s) and consider ways to either improve or completely transform yourself for coming years. for me, a new year is also a good reminder that the clock is ticking. life is short, so i’ve got to get a move on my “must-do-before-i-retire” list. it's really a long list.

so, what’s in store for 2-0-1-1?

a wedding to plan and carry out. an incredible honeymoon to organize. more exciting work ahead of me. continued language learning. a brand new blog. 

i have every reason to hope that this will be another great year. and, if all doesn’t go according to plan, that’s okay too. there's always next year.