Tweet!

Usually I'm pretty guarded about hidden gems, but seeing how I gush about this place regularly (and you will find it on most of the best brunch in Chicago lists) I feel it deserves a little blog shout out. Maybe it is the free Intelligentsia coffee while you wait, or the breakfast cakes on your table...though it could also be the cute vintage dishware and awesome art hanging from the walls... The owner, Michelle Fire, and her adorable staff couldn't be nicer...but I must say the reason I wake up on Sunday mornings salivating for Tweet is because the food is to die for. I've had a good amount of the things on the menu, Crabcakes Hollandaise, Sunrise Granola, French Toast, Uncaged Eggs, Corn Arepas... the list goes on and on but all of them have rocked my world. Right now I'm obsessed with the Cobb Salad and the Chilaquiles. My dad, a southern country boy born and raised, also claims the Biscuits and Gravy are the best he has ever eaten. The best advice I can give: order something with bacon. You won't be sorry. Mmmmmm bacon...

Bakin' Bread

Mmmmm I just made bread a couple days ago and it is wicked awesome! If you have never baked before, never fear! You can follow a recipe can't you? It's really that simple! People really shouldn't be scared to cook. This is my fourth time making this recipe, and it is the only bread I have ever baked from scratch, obviously I say go big or go home. Why would I make something simple when I can chow on a sun-dried tomato and onion spiral loaf? Cooking is so wonderful, especially making something from scratch with your two hands. I think taking this:
and turning it into this: is pretty amazing. And when it turns into this:
you better watch out! Sandwiches are my favorite food, and I'm not messing around

Momentum

Yesterday I updated my voter registration. Nothing like waiting until the last day to finally bust a move and do something that I needed to do since I changed my address... four years ago. It was great being in a room with like minded people in the County Clerk's office. Voters? No, procrastinators! It has been reported that a record number of people have registered in Illinois in the past few days, and it is nice to see people appreciating and embracing the privilege of voting. I'm not a very political person, as I generally find politics polarizing, upsetting, and insincere; however, I am quite invested in the outcome of this election. This is not the right venue for me to be on my soapbox (albeit a tiny soapbox), and I hope everyone in the nation feels comfortable voting for WHOEVER THEY MAY CHOOSE REGARDLESS OF AGE, RACE, OR PARTY, but I'm proud to support Hillary and hope that New Hampshire is the first of many victories for her. I think Obama is a great man with a great future, but I just don't feel comfortable voting for him when his opposition is a strong, savvy, experienced, and talented woman. I'm voting for Hillary because she is a girl and she is great, plain and simple. In my dream world all females would rally behind our best shot at getting into the White House. If it's not her, then who; and if it's not now, then when? In 2008 I'm ready to stop pondering.

Holiday Slacking

Seems I'm not the only blogger out there who has slacked in their holiday posts. Never fear loyal readers, now that 2008 is here I will be blogging my booty off! I've got some new projects in the works, a new camera to play with, and travels to discuss, but until then, enjoy a glimpse into my past few weeks.
I loved my cards this year, though they were more tedious to make than originally anticipated. Did anyone actually use the gift tags?

Loading up on tackiness for the holiday party circuit.

I'm obsessed with my wrapping paper! I think it is a result of finally watching March of the Penguins....awwww they are so cute!!!

Speaking of paper, Christmas was spent folding it...lots of it. My mom is really into Origami so my sister and I made her this cheese burger. Directions are in this month's ReadyMade Magazine but it is a lot harder than it looks...just a warning!

Another fun holiday project...until your bag of icing explodes. Actually, it was my sister's bag, and it was pretty entertaining. Heh.


More paper folding! I made my mom these rad ornaments. 64 folded pieces of 1.25 x 2 inch paper. Another "fun" craft that seemed more fun before I started it. I think I'm going to try and make a large version for my apartment after my callused fingers go away. Stay tuned for that...

Happy New Year!!!!

Merry Christma....What the....???

I'm still obsessed with buying CD's instead of digital music because I like the ritual of opening the jewel case, enjoying the disc art, reading the liner notes etc...

I could write another entry about that subject, but I just wanted to share this specific incident demonstrating the fun of being "surprised" when you open a CD which just occurred today:

I had been waiting with bated breath for my new arrival in the mail, "A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector." This little out of print gem has such great holiday music, my personal favorite being Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)- Darlene Love, and is worth any amount of money if you happen to come across it. This album was released in 1963, reissued in 1989, and features The Ronettes, The Crystals, Bob B. Soxx, and Darlene Love. Good Stuff, I promise you won't be disappointed, but I digress...

When I opened the CD insert to my surprise, horror, and amusement I found this lovely poster:


This brings to mind 3 questions:
Why Phil, WHY?
How come all the talented people are also loony???
And why is there a random top hat in the background?

Thank you Phil, for this lovely gift.

Happy Holidaze

Since it is officially December and there is a ton of snow on the ground I decided to put my tree up. I plugged her in and we had a little photo shoot. Here are a few of my faves:



Now that I have decorated I can finish (or should I say begin):
designing x-mas cards
printing cards
writing cards
addressing cards
buying stamps
mailing cards
compiling mega Christmas mix cd of favorite songs, so as to avoid listening to the bad ones on the radio
eating bad (good) things like cookies, fudge, and chocolates in mass quantities
oh yeah....and shopping.

Mom: Cue up the G N' R!

On my last trip to see my parents I found some of my old cassette tapes. In addition to the first tape I remember buying with my own money Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em and the late 80's classic Forever Your Girl I discovered a treasure trove of various mix tapes, some given to me by various friends, others carefully constructed by yours truly after tedious hours sitting in front of my Sony dual-deck boom box with the radio on and my finger on the record button. As my skills improved I made a few tapes with the actual recordings of songs from the albums that didn't cut off the beginning of the track or have an annoying radio dj in the background. Here are a few of the gems:

The Beatles 1967-1970 made with "love" by my grade school crush of all crushes Josh. As I recall, I saw him buying the tape after school, called him that night (thank you school directory for making his digits public knowledge) and asked if he could make me a copy. I didn't really know who the Beatles were, nor did I care....Josh was making me a tape! A tape that he TOUCHED and was going to GIVE to me! Swoon! Nothing ever happened with Josh, but I have him to thank for introducing me to the Beatles....except that he ran out of room to include Across the Universe and The Long and Winding Road so until late adolescence I had no clue these songs even existed.

Mushy Mix/Oldies contains a lovely arrangement of radio friendly tunes including, but not limited to:
Maybe I'm Amazed - Paul McCartney
Unchained Melody - The Righteous Brothers
Time Is On My Side - The Rolling Stones
I'll Make Love to You- Boyz II Men
I Can't Make You Love Me - Bonnie Rait
American Pie - Don McLean
This Magic Moment - The Drifters
I Know This Much Is True - Tears For Fears at least the first part of this song made it onto the tape...I was actually impressed my pre-teen self had the ability to enjoy a remotely cool song and deem it worthy of the Mushy Mix/Oldies tape, but my praiseworthiness was quickly fleeting as the song was cut off and replaced with...
(I am so embarrassed to admit this)
Angel - Jon Secada

Clearly I stood by the saying "You can never have too much of a good thing," because I found numerous tapes that had the same song on them several times. Who wouldn't love a cassette with this playlist:
Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison
Better Man - Pearl Jam
You Don't Know How It Feels - Tom Petty
American Pie - Don Mclean
My Name is Mud - Primus
Low Self Esteem - Offspring
You Don't Know How It Feels - Tom Petty
Stuck In the Middle - Steelers Wheel
Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison
You Don't Know How It Feels - Tom Petty
Thunderkiss '65 - White Zombie
Low Self Esteem - Offspring
Groove Is In the Heart - Dee-Lite
and drumroll please...
You Don't Know How It Feels - Tom Petty
Who could be bothered to push the rewind button to hear a song when 2 tracks later you can hear it again! Ironically, Tom Petty's Wildflowers cd wont play in my stereo, or computer...worn out perhaps???

Another great example of my obsessive nature can be found on Best of GNR Mix.
Side A:
November Rain

Side B:
Live and Let Die
Don't Cry
Estranged
Patience
Welcome to the Jungle
Paradise City
Sympathy for the Devil

I should mention that November Rain is recorded not once, not twice, but as many times as you can fit on one side of a Maxell 90 minute tape, 5.0279 times in a row to be exact. Laugh all you want, but I think this idea is genius. At ANYTIME while listening to Side B I could switch sides and hear November Rain! Brilliant! This was especially handy when being driven around by my parents while confined to the backseat. If left up to them and their fast forwarding and rewinding skills I could potentially arrive at my destination before hearing the key track. I was just making it easier on them, and I'm sure they loved every 8 minutes and 57 seconds of it. I was so ahead of my time.