Let's Play in the Park!

I've been getting my things ready for my big trip.  I opted not to get a haircut because apparently the weather right now in Athens is in the high 90s!  Yikes!  I probably will be wearing my hair up to be practical.  We didn't get that high up in the temperatures in Chicago, but last week was just as hot.  On Thursday I ended up meeting my friends in Millenium Park for a concert.  We were dripping in sweat while we heard the sounds of African rock.  We even decided to checkout Cindy's rooftop for a cocktail and it was still very humid up there as well!

Packed crowd at Millenium Park!

Last weekend I basically caught up on all of my laundry and chores around the apartment.  I went through my closet and pulled out some pieces for my trip.  I didn't want to get bombarded this weekend with those details.  My friend in Italy has given me a short list of things to get her when I meet her.  She loves her MAC products but in Italy it costs 3x as much.  Who knew?
I was invited to a birthday party in the evening and met up with my friends at Roka Akor.  They had been out on the boat all day but I opted not to go.  I knew I wouldn't get things done if I had joined them.  I also skipped out on dinner because I need to stay on my budget for my trip.  I knew they were planning on going out afterwards and figured I'll celebrate with the birthday boy there. 
We had a big group and things started to get a little hectic when we couldn't decide on what to do.  I ended up back at Cindy's rooftop with a group, only to find out the other half of the group stayed behind on Hubbard street.  One thing about me is, I'm pretty flexible when it comes down to partying with friends.  Some people are not.  Trust me, crazy things can go wrong but that's to be expect when there's alcohol involved.  lol.  I felt some tension because of the mix up, but the important thing was for us to start celebrating to get passed the frustration.  After all, we were out for the birthday boy!

I caught up with my friends at Roka Akor...

We came back to Hubbard and ended up in Hub51.  It was very crowded, but we made the most of it there.  Afterwards, we decided to walk down the street to see what else was happening.  That's when we stumbled upon Disco upstairs from Celeste.  I loved it!!  It has a very 70s Saturday Night Fever vibe to it, and the music was amazing!  We couldn't stop dancing! 
We closed out downstairs at Celeste and that was our evening.  I hope the birthday boy had fun because I sure did!

Me and the birthday boy at Disco! 

Checkout the names of those cocktails!

I'm glad I wore my gold sequined purse for Disco! 

As far as this past week goes, I've caught up with all of my work and feel good about it.  I saw my mom on Tuesday and went over the details on my trip with her.  I also met up with a friend on Wednesday and did the same drill.  I don't want anyone to worry about my whereabouts.
Today I've been messaging my friends in Italy and in Greece.  I'm getting very nervous again, but as long as I have everything ready this weekend, I should be fine.  I can't let my anxiety get the best of me!  I want to see the world and there's no way to do that but to get on a plane!  Until then, wish me luck and I'll be back in September!  ciao ciao... 

 
 

Her smile...

Happy Monday!  I'm getting very anxious about my upcoming trip.  I want to try not to let my emotions get the best of me this week.  I stayed low key over the weekend running errands and cleaning up my apartment.  As I've gotten older, I've noticed I feel more relaxed when my place is neat and tidy.  I also went through my closet and started to pull out some pieces for my vacation.  Since I know I might be a nervous wreck this weekend, I figured I'll start on that so I won't miss anything when I do pack my suitcase.  It sucks when you have to "prepare" yourself for your nerves.
What has helped me also are some motivational quotes I would find off Pinterest and Instagram.  I love the look on people's faces when I see them in a place I want to be.  Their smile says it all.  Greece is a magical place indeed and I'm looking forward to experiencing it myself!
The weekend prior I attended a wedding with my mom.  She wanted me to accompany her but didn't give me too much of a notice.  I had 2 weeks to find an appropriate dress for this wedding in the suburbs.  The ceremony was going to take place in the backyard of a house that belonged to my mom's friend.  Her son was getting married and she wanted to throw the reception there.  She has a pretty big yard for hosting 80 guests!
About a month ago I was going crazy searching for dresses for my friends' upcoming baby baptisms.  I found a dress that I put in my checklist but decided on 2 other dresses for those events.  Since I'm on a tight budget for now, I was thrown off with the invitation, but luckily I still had a dress in mind.  What do you wear for an outdoor wedding in a big backyard in the middle of summer?
I won the bid on my dress and luckily it came in a few days before the weekend.  I had to replace the slip underneath (don't you hate slips that don't line up?) and opted to wear my wedges instead of heels.  I was happy with my choice for this occasion.  Off I went to pick up my mom!

The black lace detailing was see through.  I bought a nude slip off Target which did the trick...

We got there early and the caterers were still getting everything situated.  I didn't know what to expect since I didn't know anyone there.  I met the groom and he seemed very content.  I admire people who don't seem nervous.  I wish I knew their secret on handling stressful events.  *sigh
Slowly the guests started to arrive and eventually so did the bride.  This was an unconventional wedding where there was no walk-down-the-aisle.  She continued to greet her guests in the yard and could not stop smiling.  It was infectious and people couldn't help but smile back.  She was on cloud 9 and we were all a part of this special day.

The yard had a buffet style setup with high boys.  There were no seating available, just a dance floor ready for the salseros. 

A bartender is pouring drinks ahead of time for guests to come and grab.

The happy couple.  The groom's mother did the table arrangements.

They had a friend ordain the wedding and again, the bride could not stop smiling from ear to ear.  My mom's friend was probably more nervous than the bride since she was in charge of the preparations.  Eventually, as the ceremony was under way, she loosened up and started to smile herself.  Her son's future wife was very happy to get married to him and she knows he'll be in good hands.  What a wonderful feeling it must be for a parent to witness this!



The flower girls!

Loved the chucks!

I started to get emotional watching my mom.  Since the bride COULD NOT STOP SMILING, my mom was smiling as well.  I haven't seen her look so happy in a very long time.  It made me think of everything she's been through these past 2 years.  All I wanted in life at that moment was to see that smile on her face stay on forever.  Nothing else mattered at all.  I was overwhelmed.
The rest of the night was magical.  Afterwards, the husband played a song to his wife on his guitar and started to sing.  She happily danced salsa with the guests.  Now it was time to party!

I truly enjoyed my night out with my mom.  It was such an unexpected surprise.  After a while I could see she was getting a bit tired with so many people around.  We decided to end the night around 10pm.  The party started to slow down by then and we still had to make our way back to the city.  I will never forget this night.  I wish I could thank the young couple in person.  If it wasn't for the bride and her domino effect she had on everyone with her smile, I would not have seen my mom so happy!  It was so wonderful to be a part of their happiness!

And the countdown begins!!

My big trip is around the corner and I have to put a step on it!  This weekend I'm planning on cleaning up my apartment and slowly sorting out my clothes.  It looks like the weather over there is just as hot as it is here.  I did some light shopping for sleeveless tops and tanks but I might return them.  I donated a bag of clothes the other day and feel I should dig into my closet more.  If I feel I have nothing to wear it's because I'm using up too much space with clothes I have not worn in years.  Before I head to the stores, I want to make sure I don't add more pieces to my wardrobe that will just be sitting there.  Since I worked in the retail industry for 10 years, I've accumulated a lot of clothes and have made the most of their wear.  Some clothes just look too dated and must go.  Others still have some potential.  I do not want to spend any money on more clothes if I don't have to.
Two weeks ago I spent the whole weekend at Lolla.  Last weekend, I spent it with family and friends.  Last Saturday, I missed the opportunity to have brunch with my girls.  I was tired from the night before hanging out with my brother and his girlfriend at Chicago Summer Dance.  Now that my some of my friends are moms, they're up pretty early.  It's going to be a challenge keeping up with them.  Instead, I ran my errands.  Later on I was invited to a birthday party later on not too far away from my neighborhood.  At least I got a chance to catch up with my one friend and her family there.  It was her aunt's 77th birthday, and in true Leo form, she was the star of the show!  We all had a blast laughing and joking around and even caught up with some Olympic fever.  I love how close this family are to one another and secretly wished my family would be the same.  Sometimes it's nice to be around happy people.  It's contagious and it puts you in a good mood. 

I've never used this app before.  They have some interesting filters...

The birthday girl herself! 

Not one but TWO birthday cakes!

Dog swag..

Chicago Summer Dance!

Last week my migraines were in full effect.  I noticed I wasn't feeling so well at Sunday's Lolla, but I dismissed it as being out in the sun all day.  As the week progressed, I woke up with a terrible migraine Thursday morning and it never really went away until Saturday.  I kept taking Advils left and right, but I finally figured out it was my sinus that was giving me problems.  It's frustrating when you can't function due to pressure build up. 
All Advil did for me is subside the pain since it's not necessarily for sinus pressure.  I did my best to enjoy my stroll on State Street after work Friday when my brother texted me out of the blue.  He was making his way downtown with his girlfriend and wanted to checkout Chicago Summer Dance.  They had another house music party happening and he was curious about it.  I decided to wait for them and make the most of my Friday night. 
Unfortunately, they got there pretty late.  It was almost 8pm when they arrived and the party ended at 9pm.  He misread the information but we had a blast regardless.  Since we didn't want to end the night so early, I wanted to take them to Cindy's rooftop to checkout the view.  They loved it!  We were having a good time until I realized I was missing the opening ceremony for the Olympics!  Oh well.  I guess I'll have to stream it somewhere and watch it another time...

Back at it at the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park!

I love seeing my family happy...



Chokers are back!  Just picked this up at Forever 21 on State Street.  I love a great bargain!

Obsessed with snap's filters!  Who doesn't look good with a flower crown??

Follow me on Snapchat at meeukee1

Cindy's rooftop!

We enjoyed the night view!  So pretty!!

Lolla Recap!

My Lollapalooza recap is here!  As usual, it was pretty epic.  I have to say, it's definitely my favorite festival of them all.  You have all walks of life roaming Grant Park in our beautiful city!  What's not to love??
I've been attending Lollapalooza for over 7 years.  There were times I didn't purchase tickets and would sit outside the venue and picnic with my friends.  Although the majority of the crowd are young, you will see a range of all age groups as well.  I DO have to note that Lolla is NOT for everyone.  I'm always amazed whenever people purchase tickets to a massive festival, only to stay behind the side lines because they hate crowds.  lol.
Regardless, I found my way inside Saturday's concerts.  Luckily the weather had cleared up by the weekend, because for Day 1 & 2 it did rain as usual.  Mudapalooza strikes again.  I was hesitant on wearing sneakers because I did not want to ruin another pair of shoes.  I wore my studded motorcycle boots and a high low tunic with my black denim to "blend in" with the crowd.  It looks like I will be doing a spring cleaning of my closet once again since some of my items are outdated.  Regardless if they fit or not, I can honestly say some of my mini skirts have to go!  I'm also a fan of graphic tees and I hate to admit it but some of them look comical now. 

Wearing black and white for Lolla...

We got in around 5:45pm in time to catch Oliver Heldens set at Perry's.  Afterwards we made our way to see the ones who started it all at Lolla- Jane's Addiction!  We were conflicted when it came down to the closing sets, but settled on watching Disclosure open, and seeing Red Hot Chili Peppers finish the night.  I was exhausted and too tired to do anything else.  I went home to start it all again the next day.

Love Buckingham Fountain

As close as we can get!

The infamous Perry's Stage

For Sunday the temperature got warmer to the low 80s.  This time I wanted to wear something sleeveless and definitely NOT jeans.  I settled for my boyfriend shorts and another pair of flat boots which weren't so heavy to lug around.  My motorcycle boots weigh a ton and tired out my legs the night before.  I will advise although people choose to wear flip flops or sandals, I am not a fan of having my feet exposed at a music festival.  People be tripping (no pun intended) and I rather wear sneakers or boots.
I found an old fringe top and decided to pair that up with my outfit.  It's an interesting top and where else would I wear such a thing anyway?  On to the festival!
This time we arrived with a larger group around 2:30pm.  It took us a while to get in through security and we were sweating up a storm waiting in line.  We all agreed to check out some bands later on, and decided to walk around to see what Lolla had to offer.  I was impressed with the Lolla store.  My friend bought a tank top she switched into, and I purchased a Disclosure recyclable tote bag. 
The rest of the day was interesting.  We got a chance to hear Silversun Pickups, Yellow Claw, and Flatbush Zombies before ending it with LCD Soundsystem and Ellie Goulding. 
Now that it's over I'm a little bummed out, but I know I cannot do more than 2 days of this.  I was thrilled to see people older than me jamming out to the music.  I have a sneaky suspicion this will not be my last Lolla.  hee-hee



YES!!!