Well. This isn't easy to say. I am not registered to vote. I'll give you a moment of silence to judge me for it. It's alright, I deserve it.
Sigh.
Okay. Moment has passed. I'm happy to inform all that I have now gone ahead and filled out the initial questions online, printed out the form, and will send it in this week so I'm now registered to vote. I guess I was raised to really be indifferent as far as voting is concerned. My parents are wonderful, but I think I'll make sure I make it a point to emphasize the importance of leadership in our country and how we all have a part in it. In case you are one of those people who hasn't registered yet, I went to the lame yet helpful website that I heard about while watching Gossip Girl one night. This site is all about celebrities pushing people to learn about voting and to actually get involved. Yep, it was time for me to do so myself. Sometimes, I just need to be reached in a tangible way for me to understand something...unfortunately, this time it was a familiar celebrity face telling me where to go. So I followed their directions and went to Rock the Vote. I know, coolest name ever for a website (eye roll). It's really easy. Just follow the steps. Print out the PDF. Send the information in.
First comes cooking. Then comes knitting. Then comes voting. Hey, I never said I followed social norms for anything. I'm just at my own pace!
Cheers!
Mish
Not sure why the title is from the song Matchmaker Matchmaker make me a match...maybe because I am continuously looking for special "finds" that are inexpensive and unique to add character to my living room.
We have huge built in shelving that covers the right and left side of our fireplace. They are dark wood, almost black in stain. They are uniquely shaped rectangles. As you can imagine, when we moved in, expanding our items from and 850 square foot apartment to one nearly 3 times larger requires some intense shopping for trinkets. I hate that word but I can't think of anything better to describe that which will fill the shelving areas. We have purchased a few things to date that I particularly enjoy--especially because they are still somewhat streamline and simple and white and clean looking. Nothing like items on shelves that just look fussy and disorganized. Not very Mish type A style if I may say so. Above is a photo of a clock that I purchased from West Elm and stacked on top of a collection of my/Doug's books. Seems like it would also be a great gift for the holidays.
Link: Wood Mantle Clock
I found an excellent ceramic head sculpture at Urban Outfitters a couple of weeks ago. I felt like it would look interesting in our living room shelving as well. I was right (I think! I haven't heard any complaints from Doug). I'm actually cracking up right now because I realized, upon looking it up online that it's a jewelery stand. Well, no offense Urban Outfitters, but I think it much better this way than in a bedroom (or wherever you put a jewelery stand?). That makes me think, how would you actually put belongings (minus necklaces, that would probably work nicely) onto this piece? Neither here nor there. I think it's kick ass in my living room so booya Urban Outfitters (if anyone has seen the Chipmunks movie previews and heard them say it, that's how I just said it out loud to my computer. Doug makes me say it in chipmunk voice all the time). Link: Head Reviews
I found, while shopping around at West Elm, these adorable lanterns in the sale section. I have no idea what you use them for (they are too pretty to go outdoors) but they looked like they could add some texture to the shelving, so they made the cut. I actually can't seem to find these online anymore, but I know that there are tons of inexpensive trinkets at West Elm. I love it. I am going to Home Goods tomorrow with a co-worker of mine to search for more items to fill our home. I am hoping to score some vintage items that I can even paint myself if I think they are too busy for the room. I'm looking forward to it!
My mom is a dietitian. She has been my whole life. Translation = Everything I ate as a child had wheat germ in it, I never had butter nor bacon until I started college, and most importantly in this day and age, I have an appreciation for eating healthy (minus my slight sweet tooth/ wine addiction--hey I'm only human!). I'm constantly trying to create things that I know are both healthy and tasty, which really does make me enjoy it that much more. I know it's kind of strange, but it's just the way I was raised. (Thanks Doug for warming up to the idea that the sound of a meat casing snapping under your teeth makes me flinch in disgust). Inspired by a hot beverage at Protein Bar (that I ordered and when I realized it wasn't a chilled beverage, I threw it out) with pumpkin flavoring. Introducing the Mish Pumpkin Protein Smoothie. Pumpkin Protein Shake Ingredients:
1/2 cup Trader Joe's Fat Free Pumpkin Puree
1 cup Vanilla Almond Milk
1 pinch (more if you like the flavoring) Cinnamon
1 pinch (more if you like the flavoring) Nutmeg
1/2 Scoop Low Fat Soy Vanilla Protein Powder (I get mine from Trader Joe's)
1 pinch Splenda (because I put this in everything since I have a sweet tooth)
ice cubes
BLEND.
ENJOY.
Happy Halloween!
In between warehouses in the West loop (mostly meat related slogans written on the exterior building walls) you'll find a heavy glass door leading to the land of meat and beer, otherwise known as Publican.
I treated Doug to brunch last Sunday. To sum up our experience, I'll just say "pork cheek sandwich" and leave it at that. In the words of Harry Caray, "HOLY COW." This Gouda cheese covered gem of a sandwich with roasted tomato remoulade & pork jus for dunking was quoted to be, by Doug (sandwich connoisseur), "one of the best sandwiches he'd ever had." If you know Doug at all, he means business when it comes to sandwiches. He doesn't mess.
Besides that sandwich of joy, I ordered a fantastic (chilled dish) of smoked arctic char apples, onions, celery root & fromage blanc. It was a heaping portion of arctic char with green apples that were cold and crispy. To add, their drink selection is quite interesting. I put the Bloody Mary that Doug ordered. I love how Publican seems to choose each item for a specific purpose. Each beverage and food choice is a perfected and perfectly portioned dish (as opposed to some restaurants with 25+ menu selections that only seem to overwhelm especially at brunch hour), and this is consistent throughout the beverages.
bloody mary Tito’s Vodka (Austin, Texas),
publican mix, house-made celery bitters
& one of the following beer accompaniments:
Metropolitan Brewing (Chicago, Illinois)
Krankshaft Kölsch—7
Goose Island, (Chicago, IL)
Green Line—7
New Holland Brewing Company (Holland, Michigan)
New Holland Night Tripper—7
Click here for their site, including their Menu selection.I must remind, that we have been here a few times for other meals, dinners mostly. I actually think their brunch gives their dinner menu some competition...something to consider during your next visit.
I'm a Gemini. That basically means that I have two personalities. It's true. I like sports and I like Kate Spade jewelery, pastel pencil skirts, knitting and OPI nail polish. However, there was nothing ambiguous or two sided about my love for Gemini Bistro in Lincoln Park. Every time I go there, it just gets better and better.
The decor is fresh and simple, yet elegant. Hardly visible that this space was previously an old pharmacy with long aisles of drug store products (as opposed to the black, white and gray walls and overly sized white fabric lamps suspending over the booths in the center of the venue). The menu compliments the overall look and feel of the interior. It doesn't have items that are unable to be pronounced, or things that you wonder if your stomach will feel strange 2 hours later. Their are small plates, medium and large. Pick your size appetite, pick your size dish. Or, mix and match. I realized how conducive this restaurant is to any time of day, any day of week. I have been there on a Tuesday for a big meal, and like this week, I made my way over (after a quick stop at J Crew to purchase a shirt that I had them cut the tag off in the dressing room so I could wear it to eat--yes, I do that) to Gemini on a Friday afternoon for happy hour with a good co-worker of mine. She thankfully shares my taste in foods and wine. We went straight to the red wine bottles menu and ate at the bar. The Mendoza Malbec is my favorite. The bottle label has an off white label with an ocean scene drawn on it. We ordered two salads ("small plates") and split scallops (a "big plate"). Everything was fantastic, per usual.
Our Order:
The Autumn Salad was a collection of dried cherries, nuts, fresh greens, and a light dressing with a vinaigrette base. The beet salad is something I always order, since it's the fresh produce they use and perfectly executed white truffle vinaigrette that I find to be the main reason that I order this dish each time I visit. Our meal finished with the scallops (which were HUGE and juicy--I refuse to make a "that's what she said" joke about that phrase) and we split them, which was perfect for a lighter meal prior to heading out for the night. I won't write about where we went after this--it was a sketchy bar that we visited basically as a dare. The bartender, Emilio, was awesome. I restrained myself from yelling "hey Emilio" like in the "Night at the Roxbury" movie. We loved sitting at the bar. We didn't have any wait when we walked in around 6:30pm.
Trust me! Try it out. They take open table reservations, too.
Look at the Menu. Click here.
Yes. In knitting there is actually a word titled "PURL." It's a specific stitch where you loop the yarn the opposite way around your needle as done in a knit stitch. I know this because I'm learning how to knit. Well actually, I learned this past weekend in a class at a local...I'm sure the word is not "knittery" but I'll call it that. I took a class with two other trendy ladies (I imagined 70+ years old in my head when walking down the street to Nina to learn how to get started with this new craft on Sunday) which was an incredible relief. I hadn't become aware that knitting is actually a relatively reborn art and a good amount of younger people do this activity, not just grandmothers. I was making up song throughout the class. The teacher thought I was hilarious. Phew. She also called me a "Type A knitter." I'm not surprised at ALL by this since I'm highly type A in life.
Now, moving on to Nina, the knitting store. What an adorable slice of heaven. If I could live in a store (minus Anthropologie, J Crew, and a couple of high ranking Mecca's) this would probably make one of my top 15 places. It's absolutely a charming haven of colored yarn organized my thickness and style. The walls are clean white, the windows in the front of the store are wide and add character to the smaller size of the shop. A combination of slightly frumpy, slightly crunchy, yet extremely welcoming women work the front desk and teach the courses. Despite their unique looks and mannerisms, one thing unites them--they know their knitting!
I found out about a course through my co-worker, and decided it was time to try new things. From Dailey Method on Damen, and the shops on Division, I decided that I should continue on my quest to really soak up all that my immediate neighborhood has to offer. I took a two hour class on Sunday. It was the basics of how to start. It felt very foreign to me at first, then my little hands picked it up very quickly (we always joke about how my hands and chest are not proportional to each other because one is abnormally small and the other larger than my frame should really allow...). It's basically following a pattern, knowing your yarn size, and your needle size (and how many stitches per inch you should be aiming for in order to successfully complete a specific pattern). I'm now working on my first scarf. It's in a rich glossy sheenfull (my made up word) navy yarn that's pretty thick. I find it extremely therapeutic. I actually wanted to learn to make Christmas stockings. Not sure how that will work out, but I'll try to get to those as well after I finish this scarf.
I highly recommend taking a quick class. Time flies when you are having fun knitting!
This is how you sign up.
This is the home page of the Nina Website.
Rosebud. 445 Dearborn. Mark this moment in history, I won't be back. Sorry Rosebud, I'm just not a fan. I guess it was standard Italian fare, and I don't mean to offend those Italian friends of mine out there (or those that just love their pasta) but I am not someone who likes the type of venue with old school red patent leather booths, a strange bar that pretends to be upscale and isn't, and then a smell in the air that reminds me of a fast food restaurant. My parents got me a gift card to Rosebud (seemed random, but I guess they are super popular in the suburbs) so I decided to head over with two close friends of mine. The three of us ladies split a pasta dish, a chicken and prosciutto dish, and then had bread and wine (in excess--that was the one good thing about the meal, I guess, the Malbec was delicious).
Maybe there is a slight possibility that I've been tainted by the numerous hip, hot and adventurous venues offering eclectic menus and beverages, and coming to a simple classic Italian restaurant bores me. That reminds me of the movie van Wilder when the jerk fraternity boy dating Tara Reid says "I don't want our children to be tainted from one night when mommy went 'slumming' in college." I guess I had just expected for a meal that was satisfying and comforting, as opposed to the feeling that I just consumed a pound of butter melted over everything that I put into my mouth and was therefore in turn feeling the waist band of my pink pencil skirt digging into my lower abdomen.
I do have one nice thing to say, so listen up. They do have an option to substitute the original pasta with whole wheat pasta. So there! They are TRYING desperately to "keep up with the times" but I guess that is their only attempt. Nothing else had changed since it had opened decades ago, I swear. Maybe that's what you are going for. Good for you. Plus there are so many locations in the loop, I guess I can't completely give them no credit for not having a good business model. It's just too old school and not for me.
Mazel Tov, Rosebud. Best wishes.
Sincerely,
Mish
