Christmas Collage

Tags

ballet, Chicago, christmas, collage, cookies, daisy, family, gingerbread, holidays, nutcracker, photos, traditions

Happy holidays, everyone!  I absolutely love Christmas, and I always take lots of photos around Christmastime.  I put some of my favorites into a little collage for the blog.  Look forward to a post about my 2014 goals soon!

Clockwise from top left:

// Gingerbread cookies that I made with my boyfriend.  I love baking and decorating cut-out cookies.

// A pretty Christmas dinner salad and Christmas cracker!  Crackers are a tradition for my family… my cousins and I always open them at the same time and laugh about the silly gifts inside.

// The Auditorium Theater in Chicago.  My mom and I see The Nutcracker ballet every year, and I absolutely love the theater.  It’s very old, so watching a show there feels like going back in time!

// More cookies and I made with my family.  You can never have too many Christmas cookies!

// The yearly present pile at my grandparents’ house on Christmas.  These gifts were for 20 people, not just me!

// Daisy checking out the box of treats we got her for Christmas.  My sister and I spent about 15 minutes choosing treats for Daisy at Target.  We loved that Buddy Biscuits are made of natural ingredients that we would give to Daisy at home.  And they’re shaped like people!

What is your favorite holiday tradition?

My Trip to Eataly Chicago

Tags

boyfriend, Chicago, eataly, food, lunch, pasta, pesto, pizza, restaurant

Hi everyone 🙂

It’s so nice to finally be on winter break – my classes were really challenging this quarter, and I’m happy that I’m finished. 

My boyfriend and I celebrated the end of the quarter by spending a day in Chicago yesterday.  We went to Eataly, which is a new restaurant/gourmet food store owned by Mario Batali.  It was amazing!  Eataly literally has every type of Italian food you could imagine: from fresh bread to produce to chocolate.  Here are some photos I took of some of the food displays.

 

 

The first floor has several small cafes, and the second floor has sit-down restaurants.  Eataly has several restaurants, and each one serves a different type of food.  There are restaurants for meat, fish, vegetables, and pizza and pasta.  This wasn’t a problem for my boyfriend and I, who were in the mood for pizza and pasta, but it might be tough if you’re with a big group of people who all want different types of food.  When we sat down, we were greeted with delicious fresh bread and olive oil.  We were seated right in front of the pizza ovens: it was so cool to watch the pizzas being made! 

My boyfriend ordered a Margherita pizza, which came with tomato sauce, basil, mozzarella, and extra virgin olive oil.  He said it was tasty, but he wished there was more basil on it.  There was only one basil leaf!

I ordered linguine with pesto trapanese.  The sauce was made with tomatoes, basil, almonds, garlic, chili flakes, and Pecorino cheese.  It. Was. Incredible.  Seriously one of the best things I’ve ever eaten.  The pasta was perfectly al dente, and the sauce was so fresh and flavorful.  I absolutely loved it!

We had such a great time eating and exploring Eataly: it’s huge, and we didn’t even look at everything!  If you’re in Chicago, I highly recommend stopping by Eataly.  It is such a cool place full of great food, and I can’t wait to go again!

Happy Fall!

Tags

boots, Chicago, essie, fall, infinity, l'occitane, lake michigan, lotion, nail polish, pumpkin, scarf, shea butter, wind

Hello loves 🙂

It’s almost officially fall!  Fall is my favorite season, mostly because of the yummy smells, cozy clothing, and crisp, beautiful weather.  And pumpkin of course.  😉 Here are some of my fall favorites.

Shea butter // I love shea butter for all seasons, but I can’t really justify using it during the summer.  While it is a great moisturizer, it’s very rich and therefore not the best for hot summer days.  Fall means I can start using it again!  I use pure shea butter on my cuticles, and even on my face if it’s very windy outside.  I live right on the coast of Lake Michigan, so it gets windy often!

Scarves // There’s nothing better to keep you warm than a cozy scarf.  With so many cute colors and knits, it’s easy to wear scarves with every outfit.

Fall nail polish // I tend to like fall and winter nail polish collections better than spring and summer ones.  My skin looks best in cooler colors, so maybe that’s why?  Essie has adorable cute colors for fall this year.

Pumpkin-scented things // This pumpkin cupcake candle smells incredible… I only wish I could use it in my room!  I live in an old house and it’s against the rules, so oh well.  One day I’ll invest in an entire case of pumpkin candles and have a pumpkin-filled home all year round.  Livin’ the dream right there.

Boots // Up until last year, I had never owned a pair of boots that weren’t Uggs or snow boots.  But I’m so glad I got some riding boots: they’re perfect with skinny jeans or even with a cute fall dress and tights.  Not that Uggs aren’t amazing… they really are, regardless of stylish-ness. 😉

What is your favorite part of fall?

KIND Summit Recap!

Tags

bars, campus, Chicago, food, healthy grains, job, kind, kua, marketing, Northwestern, recap, summit

Two weeks ago, I attended the KIND University Ambassadors Summit in lovely Chicago.  I had an AMAZING time meeting other KUAs and KIND staff, learning more about the brand, and of course, exploring the city!  I may be a Chicago native, but I always gain a new appreciation for my city when I show other people around.

We started the Summit with a mixer with KIND staff and University Brand Ambassadors.  Everyone was so friendly!  

As you would expect, food at the Summit was divine!  We were spoiled by delicious, healthy food, and plenty of KIND bars!  Appetizers included veggies and hummus, as well as local cheeses.  I wish the cheeses were labeled, because I need to know where the yellow cheese cubes came from so I can buy some for myself!

Dinner at the mixer.  All the food was labelled with its ingredients, and nearly everything was gluten-free!  Like KIND, the hotel knows how to make gluten-free food taste delicious.  I tried some chicken, steak tenderloin, salad, mashed potatoes, and roasted cauliflower.  Plus a mini peanut butter-chocolate cupcake and a KIND bar for dessert!

The mixer was held on a rooftop terrace, and the view was beautiful!

The next morning, we were greeted by a delicious breakfast spread!  I had some oatmeal with brown sugar and pecans, Greek yogurt with raspberries, and KIND Healthy Grains Clusters.  I tried two flavors of clusters: Dark Chocolate & Cranberry Clusters and Cinnamon Oat Clusters with Flax Seeds.  They were both great!

Of course, leave it to me to forget my camera in the conference room when we took a break for lunch.  I had a delicious salad with miso dressing, and a sandwich with ham, Gruyere cheese, and grainy mustard on a pretzel bun.  Divine!  I wish I had snapped a photo.

In case we weren’t spoiled enough at this Summit, KIND treated us to an amazing gift backpack full of goodies!

KIND products are made from real, healthy ingredients that you can see and pronounce.  And they taste amazing.  What more could you want from a snack?

KIND is a stellar company, and I am thrilled to work with them this year!

Have you ever tried KIND Bars or Healthy Grains products?  What is your favorite flavor?

Bracelets for Spring

Tags

april, asos, bangle, bracelet, Chicago, enamel, fashion, forever 21, gold, J.Crew, kate spade, snow, spring, watch, weather

I cant wait for spring to come!  It snowed in Chicago today (yes… really), so I might be far away from real spring weather.  But spring means short sleeves, and short sleeves means bracelet stacks.  Here are some of my favorites.

What is your favorite spring fashion trend?

City Dreams

Tags

Chicago, collage, college, instagram, lab, life, ornaments, photography, school, soup, speech pathology, work

I love Chicago.  It’s such a pretty city, especially in the wintertime.

Photos from a weekend getaway

My sister’s crispy waffles at Sixteen

My delicious fresh strawberries at Sixteen

I really enjoy being home, but I am excited to get back to school.  This quarter I’ll be working as a research assistant at a lab on campus.  The lab studies infant and toddler language acquisition, which I am so passionate about and excited to learn more about.

Speaking of school, I’ve been enjoying my new major so much.  I didn’t know that college courses were supposed to be interesting until now.  I work very hard, but I enjoy learning about communication science so much that it doesn’t feel like work.  I have always liked caring for infants and toddlers, and now I’m on track to help them for a living?  What could be better?!  I’m so glad I took a risk and made this decision for myself.

Also, I’ve been trying to Instagram more.  Follow me!

Do you use Instagram?  Post your username so I can follow you, too!

Target Fun

Tags

aquarium, ballet flats, beauty, boyfriend, Chicago, fish, lip liner, makeup, photography, puppy chow, recipe, sonia kashuk, Target, top, whale

Yesterday, my boyfriend and I went to downtown Chicago to go to the Shedd aquarium.  It turned out that yesterday was one of the aquarium’s Discount Days, so we didn’t have to pay admission.  Score!

After visiting all the fishies, we walked along the lakefront path.  It was a beautiful day!

Today was a little more laid-back, so I browsed around Target for a while.  I shop at Target often, and I love the great deals and fun finds there.  Today I picked up some ingredients for puppy chow.  Here’s the recipe.  It’s delicious!

I also bought a basic black top for $7.  How hard could it be to find a soft long-sleeve fitted V-neck top?  Apparently very hard, because I have been looking for a shirt like this for a while!

I also snagged these ballet flats for $19.99.  I like that they’re simple enough to wear with a bold outfit, but they’re not too basic.  Target makes surprisingly great ballet flats that won’t give you blisters.  They may not last as long as more expensive flats, but you never need to break them in.

As well as a Sonia Kashuk lip liner for $6.  I’ve been using my mom’s lip liner whenever I wear lipstick, but I figured it’s time to be a grown-up and get my own.  This one is a neutral pink shade.

It’s been a great past few days, but I am TOO READY for school to start!

Chicago Trip!

Tags

bakery, Chicago, chocolate, christmas, cupcake, dress, fancy, Foodlife, gingerbread, holiday, salad, sprinkles, staycation, vacation, water tower

My family and I took a mini vacation to Chicago!  We left around noon on friday, checked into our hotel, then headed to Foodlife in Water Tower Place where I got a ginormous veggie-filled salad and a wheat roll.  Foodlife is a big food court-style restaurant, but instead of fast food everything is better quality and so delicious.  If you’re ever in Chicago, stop by for lunch!

After lunch, I took it upon myself to try on crazy expensive dresses and not buy them…

We stopped to indulge in cupcakes from Sprinkles, aka the best cupcakes ever!  Mine was a dark chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting…

The hotel put little boxes of fancy chocolates on our pillows!

And this little gem.  Donald Trump would put his face on water bottles…

We woke up to a beautiful view of the Chicago River…

And fell asleep to it, too…

My mom and I in the hotel room… it was so luxurious and relaxing, I didn’t want to leave!

Seeing gingerbread houses like these makes me want to be a pastry chef…

Then I remember that I’m already in college.  Though baking all day would be fun.

Look!  Fondant snow people!

On Friday, my mom and I went to see The Nutcracker!  We go every year, and it is always amazing.  I absolutely love the venue: the  Auditorium Theater.  Being there makes me feel like I’ve traveled back in time, with all the gold and the ornate décor…

It was a great trip with the family, and Chicago is an awesome place to do some last-minute Christmas shopping!  I can’t believe Christmas is tomorrow; this year has flown by!

Merry Christmas Eve!

Pushing Through It

Tags

banana, black tea, boar, chemistry, Chicago, chocolate, chronic illness, college, convulsion, dorm, dress, formal, lipton, navy pier, oatmeal, peanut butter, POTS, sugar cookie, tea, tired

I realize that I haven’t posted in a long time – wow!  It has been an extremely hectic past few weeks starting with another convulsion at the gym.  Seriously?!?!  I have worked so hard to get healthy for the past 2-and-a-half years, but now I feel like I’m back to square one.  More doctors appointments, more tests, and worst of all more anxiety.  College is difficult on its own, but having a chronic illness makes it so much harder.  My friends, teammates, family, and academic advisor have been wonderful and understanding and amazing, but there is only so much they can do.  I just want to be BETTER!

But now, onto more normal, happy topics… like oatmeal!

I’ve been getting inventive in the kitchen – so far, the best result has been peanut butter, banana, and chocolate oatmeal made entirely from food stolen from the dining hall!

Plus chemistry homework.  In the lounge.  On a Sunday.  With nobody else awake.  I am kind of obsessed with this photo.  Sometimes my little camera surprises me.

You know what else I’m obsessed with?  Tea!  It is getting colder outside and a warm travel mug full of hot tea during my 8 am class never fails to make me super happy.  Especially when it’s Celestial Seasonings Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride!

A note: this tea does not taste like sugar cookies.  It tastes like herbal tea, so if you’re a tea-hater hoping to be converted, this is not your cup of tea (get it?! )  It smells like sugar cookies, though, so it is still pretty awesome.

Another tea I love?  Lipton Vanilla Caramel Truffle black tea!  This one actually tastes like caramel… yum!

Saturday night was my dorm’s formal, and I’m on dorm government so I helped plan it.  We held it on a BOAT that cruised around Lake Michigan for a few hours.  The entire night was so much fun.

A blurry view of the boat… it was enormous and so fancy inside!

An even blurrier view of Navy Pier, where the boat was docked.  For every good oatmeal photo, I get 50 bad photos.  You win some and you lose some.

I’m currently sitting in the study lounge by myself waiting for my laundry. 

And trying to study.  Sort of.

 

❤ C

Chicago Trip!

Tags

Chicago, chocolate, Foodlife, Italian, makeup, Osteria via Stato, shopping

My family and I decided to take a mini-vacation to Chicago this weekend.  It was a refreshing break from school/finals/life!

Upon arriving at the hotel, we received this little box of chocolates.  Clockwise from the top left; dark chocolate, milk chocolate nut, raspberry, and caramel.  They were delicious!

After we set down our bags, we took a cab to Water Tower Place and went shopping!  I took full advantage of my Christmas gift cards, haha.  I bought an eye brightening crayon and lotion from Sephora, a dress and hairbrush (mine keep disappearing) from Forever 21, and a few pairs of earrings from Claire’s.  Definitely a successful shopping spree!  We stopped for lunch at Foodlife, which is a big food court that serves fresh, yummy food.  You can get pretty much anything there, but I was craving balsamic dressing (who knows why??) so I ordered this chopped salad.  It has baby greens, cucumbers, carrots, and almond slivers with, of course, balsamic dressing.  I had a grainy roll on the side, plus a few bites of my sister’s stir fry.  Tasty!

After lunch and a bit more browsing, we went to Sprinkles!  The company just opened one in Chicago and my sister told me I absolutely HAD to try it.  And she was right- the cupcake was dense, soft but not sticky, and covered in a perfect layer of sweet but not-too-sweet frosting.  I ordered a Peanut Butter Chip one, and it was absolutely incredible!  Hands-down the best cupcake I’ve ever tasted.

 

We stopped at NikeTown.

And for dinner we went to Osteria Via Stato.  It’s a casual Italian restaurant and it was very good!  Great service and the food is simple but perfect.  I ordered gnocchi with tomato sauce (yes, this is an item on the menu… I told you it was simple 😉 ) and it was unbelievable.  I definitely recommend it!

The next day, we went to the Shedd Aquarium.  A must-visit if you’ve never been!

Beluga whale baby!

Penguins

Don’t remember what these are called, but they’re funny!

Nemo

Chill fish… he’s like, “Did I SAY you could take a picture of me?!”

 

Little fish… I love this picture!  Feel free to set it as your desktop background. 😉

Coral and blue fishies.

 

After the aquarium, we drove back home.  Overall, a very relaxing yet fun trip! I love Chicago! 😀