Door County, WI.

This past weekend, we attended a beautiful outdoor wedding in Door County. If you are ever in the mood for a little getaway, filled with simple pleasures-I highly suggest visiting this area. There are wineries, markets galore, little shops, various restaurants, and the list goes on.....

Here are some of my pictures:

The famous Al Johnson's restaurant (great Swedish pancakes!):

Close up of a goat on the roof:

How cute is this colorful little place? We stopped there for a quick bite to eat:

Little shops with eye-catching landscaping:

The backyard of a store:

An ice cream shop:

The brother in laws @ Shipwrecked-who get along as well as real brothers:

Pre-ceremony with my sisters, the coolest chicks I know:

We had a blast in Door County and I can't help but feel blessed that I have such an incredible family. My sisters are successful women who believe that age is just a number and our motto will always be to smile, laugh, and act silly no matter what!

Life is short. Have fun people!!! :)

Better Late Than Never

Time flies by and sometimes a simple task on a to do list can easily vanish in the midst of a busy schedule. Weeks ago, I mentioned posting pics of my mini flower box project, so here are the late pics-enjoy!

OCD ALERT: Can't EVER decide quickly, so I purchased an assortment of potential flower boxes:

And the winner is:

Other pics of what Tom planted over the last two summers:

The front entrance completed 100% by moi:

Our birdhouse made by my father-in-law:

Frankie loving his new football and clearly not impressed by the flowers :)

The flower madness will continue next summer and then hopefully we can start our garden!

Frances-our secret!

On the agenda today: BBQ!! Tom and I brainstormed different types of food to grill for our friends Joanna and Andrew. I quickly narrowed it down to scrumptious filets-only the finest cut of meat for my girl and her hubby :) 90+ degrees in the sweltering heat didn't stop us from having a good time. As time passed, we headed indoors and she mentioned that she never saw our wedding video. I immediately felt two different emotions-bad for Andrew to be put through the anguish and happy because that is just the kind of friend she is. (BTW, I did try my best to fast forward Andrew!)

During my later college years, I was blessed with a high school special education position and became Joanna's classroom aide. We clicked and navigated through multiple wedding related websites at work once our boyfriends became our fiancés. We were like two giddy school girls talking about gowns, colors, reception spots-you name it, we covered it! Our weddings ended up being two weeks apart and we were equally excited for each other.

Unfortunately, most girls (as we all know) are born with a competitive chip and I've also encountered a few pretenders (those that pretend to be happy for you). I must say she is the exact opposite and is always genuinely happy for me and incredibly supportive. When I confide in her-big or small, I can always rely on her to put a lot of effort into the advice she so graciously provides.

She is an impeccable teacher and will make a top notch counselor in the future because she is a phenomenal person with a huge heart! Quick side note-Joanna is the gal that has been the biggest supporter when it comes to my blog. Thank you Jo and thank you Cicero for introducing me to JFL!

Weekend in Chicago

An awesome weekend for the two of us:

Stop one: Saturday, Wedding @ Pazzo 311 Not knowing too many people at this wedding was indeed a perk because it allowed us to have more alone time together. We danced the night away just like Usher would want us to!

Later that evening, we committed a crime by making a pit stop at White Castle on the way home-can't remember the last time we had one of those nights! Hmmm..cheese sticks, jalapeno cheeseburgers......

Stop two: Sunday @ Kitsch'n This quirky little diner specializes in comfort food and is an absolute gem in the city. We had the most satisfying & filling meals to make us feel like champs again! This place has a selection of old school games to play while you are waiting for your food. I chose to ask Tom ridiculous questions using the magic eight ball (of course)....

Stop three: Navy Pier I purchased an architectural cruise on Groupon-knowing he would relish the tour (despite the muggy day) because he contributes to the city's beautiful skyline...

Tom was the project engineer for the Aqua building (in the middle) which our docent mentioned...

Wrigley building on Michigan Avenue...

Cute places along the river with flower boxes...

I'll take an office with a view please...

The best city we will always visit even though we live in the burbs...

Time to Give the Sony a Break

First picture taken in class:

My photography class in Chicago:

Katie works a few classrooms down from me and had mentioned that she previously enrolled in a photography class. I think the cool thing about meeting people is the fact that they can surprise you at any given moment and getting to know someone is always an ongoing learning experience.

Suddenly, I've become very interested in photography and purchased one class via Groupon about a month ago. Now please be aware that this class will not put me on the same level as her. The beginner level class will ONLY provide useful tips on how to use Tom's Nikon D60 that he purchased about two years ago. (What can I say? I've been happy using my small camera!) So please be patient with me if you don't see an improvement for a very long time!! :)

She is an amazing photographer-check out her blog!

Caperture

Happy 4th of July!

Our weekend in Wisconsin

(randomly selected photos)

The way the rope twisted-could it be a L for love? I think so...

Fireworks everywhere...

The beautiful horizon...

Firework show on the lake...
Exploring...
Perfect spot for reading...
So in love with spot #2...
Breathtaking...
Best bar on the lake...
Peaceful walks...
Sunset cruises...
Docking the boat near the restaurant...
Our favorite lakefront restaurant...
Fishing...

What a relaxing weekend! Hope you enjoyed yours!!

XO