Christmas Eve 2018

I’m FINALLY posting about the holidays!  Lol.  Since I’ve been laying low so far in January, I think I should be able to catch up to January posts much sooner.  Lately I’ve been reading a book about French culture and I am intrigued!  I’m hoping to finish some chapters this weekend.  I didn’t realize MLK holiday was this upcoming Monday, so this would be a perfect opportunity to do that.  This book has made me realize that I’ve been missing out on some of my travel experiences.  For the most part, I’ve traveled to get things off my bucket list.  But I’ve noticed when I come back home, I feel that I had a void that I couldn’t figure out.  Once you encounter a new place, it becomes something bigger than you!  The good news:  you get to enrich your life with new experiences.  Reading about France and French culture has made me want to go back and venture out to other regions.  After all, France is about the same size as Texas! 

Back on Christmas Eve, I watched what I ate throughout the day because I knew I was going to have a feast later on.  My brother and mother came to pick me up, and we rode off to my aunt’s place.  My mom made a dish as well.  I felt bad because my aunt and her family were rushing a bit, but it was ok since we knew we were going to have a long night ahead of us.  Unfortunately, some of our family members were out of town, but we made the most of our little group.  It was nice seeing my cousins open up their gifts.

Natale Con La Famiglia

I can’t believe I am recapping Christmas Eve on my blog.  I apologize for not keeping up.  The holidays along with other personal issues kept me away for a bit.  I needed a break in remembering how the year ended.  For the most part, I have yet to make any resolutions for 2018.  It’s not that I am slacking on myself.  These recent events took me by surprise, and I am slowly nursing myself back to normal.  This weekend I am planning on visiting my friend in Michigan.  We will be celebrating her birthday.  For the most part, she is bummed out about some things not working out for her and I decided on the last minute to visit her.  I know how it feels when things take you by surprise.

I want everyone to know, it’s ok to take some time off for yourself to regroup.  Life can be hard (I just never imagined how hard it can be when you lose someone).  Last year, I knew 5 people that passed away suddenly.  It is a growing reminder for me that I am getting older, but also that Life can be incredibly unfair.  I never in a million years want anyone to go through the hardships I’ve witnessed.  Seeing friends and family hurt broke my heart.

As a result, I felt incredibly guilty around Thanksgiving.  I knew I needed to get away (for myself mostly) and I did in early December.  But then the holidays were creeping up again, and I felt the sudden urge of sadness.  I can now see how the holidays can trigger strong emotions when someone passes away.  

Luckily, my friends and family knew of my struggles and were very helpful once more.  I didn’t realize that even recapping these sad moments could take me back to that time, but now that weeks have passed, I’m am getting excited for things to come.  The next few months will be filled with lots of planning, and hopefully I will share the news soon of what’s to come.

Back to recapping Christmas Eve!

I was out the night before with my friend who came into town for the holidays.  As a result of us getting a little crazy, we woke up to the sight of a blanket of snow.  This snowfall came out of nowhere.  We grabbed brunch and then we went home to rest up.  It was Christmas Eve and we knew it was going to be a full night ahead of us once more.

My brothers picked me up and we headed to my aunt’s place.  This was her first time hosting this year, and we enjoyed our night there.  My step brother also showed up which was a nice surprise. 

I got a bunch of gift cards which I can’t wait to use.  I am looking forward to this weekend in Michigan.  I am thinking this is the year I might visit my friends who have moved away from Chicago.  That could be a possible New Year’s Resolution…   

Holidays are OVER part 4!

It's been almost a month since the holidays are over yet it feels much longer.  One thing that freaks me out as I get older is how fast time flies.  Moments become instant memories in an instant.  You don't have time to process anything.  It's already slipped your fingers.  I've had people come in and out of my life who've affected me deeply yet we only came in contact for a brief time.  I'm saddened by some recent events, and wonder if I can ever truly get use to people being out of my life.  Their imprint has branded a place in my heart deeply...
On Christmas Eve Saturday, I was out at the stores.  A friend of mine had texted me at 1am that Friday night when I had just gotten home from the birthday party.  She wanted to see me at one point so we could exchange gifts.  I panicked.  I was hoping she wouldn't do such a thing, since I normally don't exchange gifts with friends, but we have spent a lot of time together this past year.  I have not known her as long as my close friends, but she's an amazing person and was flattered she got me something.  Since it was late after all, I let her know that my family celebrates Christmas Eve and we would have to touch base sometime this weekend, but I knew I was in a jam.  Since everything would be closed on Sunday for Christmas Day, I had to get her something beforehand.
I was completely tensed up when I got up that day.  My shoulders hurt so much.  I felt too stiff and did not have much sleep because of it.  I got a lucky break when my friend texted me if I wanted to workout.  He was going to head to a department store first to finish up some shopping himself and asked if I wanted to tag along.  I jumped at the opportunity.
We headed down Elston and there was traffic brewing already.  The store was in mayhem, but we managed to find stuff in the hour we were there.  I was pretty satisfied with my gifts, but it didn't stop my shoulders from hurting.  I was on the verge of tears from all of the stress leading up to tonight.  At the gym I used low weights because of how much my body ached.  I figured my body needed to move so I could loosen up.  My friend was great at hearing me out.  I am lucky he was around.  I just needed someone to vent at. 
Once we got back from the gym, I slowly got ready.  My little brother was working that evening and was going to pick me up once he got off from work.  I finished wrapping up my gifts and was ready to get this day over with.  I wasn't enjoy any of this so far.
We arrived to my aunt's place at the same time my other brother and my mom got there.  I could tell my mom seemed sad, but with so much commotion going on in the house, I couldn't check up on her like I wanted to.  I was glad my step brother was already there waiting for us.  He seemed fine to be there, but he ended up leaving after dinner.  He said he wasn't feeling that well when he got there but I couldn't tell if he was telling the truth.  For my mom and him, I knew my step dad was on their mind this day. 
Dinner was the best part of the night.  Me and my brothers always joke around.  We tried to keep the mood light hearted.  Once the conversation headed towards politics and religion, things tensed up again.  I concluded that most families probably can't help but bring up such issues during the holidays.
Finally the moment we've been waiting for all night had arrived and we all hugged and wished each other Merry Christmas.  With the news surrounding the deaths of much loved celebrities, I was grateful that my family was safe and healthy.
How did you spend the holidays?  Was it stressful like mine?  lol.  My moment of clarity was seeing my brothers receive the gifts that I gave them.  I bought them the Chicago Cubs Championship winter hats which were sold out everywhere.  I lucked out finding them but seeing the smiles on my brothers faces was all worth it!

Made it to my aunt's!



My brothers and step brother...

Christmas sweets!

Family pic.  I'm glad we are all safe and healthy.  They mean the world to me.

Back to work!

Just finished having a three day weekend due to Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.  I think it's kind of sad how the state of this country feels towards equality today.  Considering everything this man did in his power to bring awareness towards love and peace, we should be passed this by now.  Some things stayed the same.  Some things changed.  But is this change enough?  I feel the growing hatred among my friends and colleagues towards politics.  The differences in our neighboring states are astronomical.  I live in the Midwest, but views within our nation is drastically different in the southern part, west coast and east coast.  If we eliminate the views of our largest cities, we would have the rest of the states who despite not having such a large population, have a completely conservative view on how our country should be operating.  Which way is better?  When do we stop giving out excuses for our actions?  When do we step up to own up to our responsibilities as an American citizen?  I try my best to follow the law, to live within my means, to pay off my debt, and to live accordingly to my values.  But there is injustice around me, and when you get older, you assume, that's just the way that it is.  Pretty sad.
I will try my best to do what's right as a citizen, vote when needed, help out in my community.  We have the right to get worked up over issues that have been spanning over the course of 60 years.  We have the right to want things different than they are now.  We are the only country in the world that is made up of entirely different people and cultures from all over the world.  Let's embrace our country and continue to accept the changes that are happening everyday.  Let's work on accepting our differences and to learn from one another.  Let's be better people and remember that love and peace is what Martin Luther King Jr. fought for before he was assassinated. 
Over the weekend I put away my Christmas decorations for good.  My apartment looks so empty now.  I got use to my colorful, cheerful décor.  My apartment looks kind of boring now.  Oh well.  I did manage to go out on Friday for a birthday party, but the rest of the weekend I stayed in.  It was too cold to do anything.  I lit some candles, played my music loud, and did some exercises in my Italian language book.  I was ok to be home. 
Back to December events!  I think I'll be able to catch up soon since I've been laying low this month due to the weather.  I left off having my holiday party at the Four Seasons.  I stayed in the rest of that weekend and low and behold, Christmas Eve crept up out of no where.  I will say that our holiday party DID come late this year, so that made this month seem as if there was always something going on every weekend.  That could make an introvert get pretty exhausted.  My aunt was hosting again this year, so we made our way there.  She managed to take a mini vacation with her oldest daughter to New York and due to the weather conditions, came in on a much later flight and landed at 4pm that day.  She was one of the lucky ones.  Lots of people were stranded for days out in the East Coast.  I'm glad they made it home safely.  I loved the fact that the rest of the family pulled together to get dinner ready.  I knew that this holiday might make my mom emotional, but she was holding up fine.  Besides, Christmas is really for the kids.  Although my little cousins aren't so little anymore, the youngest one is 10 years old, so it was important that we made everything fun for him.  I got a chance to use my new selfie stick I received as a gift from work.  I loved it!  My family is small but it's all I have.  I love them dearly... 

Selfie stick time with my younger brothers...

Showing the rest of the family how the selfie stick works.  lol

I can't wait to use this thing for my next vacation!!

My little cousin getting excited for Christmas Eve dinner...

Christmas cookies!!

My aunt hosted dinner after arriving from New York earlier that day!  How she managed to pull this off is pretty amazing!

The men in my life!  My 2 younger brothers and my uncle and my little cousin...

My mom's side of the family.  Her brother and 2 younger sisters.  Like me, we are the oldest of our siblings...

Time for some pics in front of the tree!

My cousins!

Good times!

I wore a full length sweater duster with my skinny jeans and ankle boots. 

Let's eat!

I may not be a foodie but I got a chance to eat pretty well last October.  My friends make fun of me that I never have an appetite for anything.  I rather have a good drink than to have a big meal.  That's because I usually watch what I eat and exercise regularly.  But there are occasions when I find myself out and about trying new things.

My boss wanted to surprise one of our coworkers to a lunch for her upcoming wedding.  She chose the Ralph Lauren restaurant on Chicago avenue.  I was excited to check it out because I've never been.  We made reservations and noticed how full the place was.  Luckily we got our table and ordered a way!  RL is beautifully decorated in Ralph Lauren fashion.  There were sections that looked like a library and then there were sections that reminded me of a horse stable.  There are tons of pictures hanging; some are photographs of old Hollywood actors and  some are of Chicago's iconic skyscrapers.  I missed the feeling of being back in time.  Our city has had our share of up and coming restaurants with a new age/ fusion twist.  It was nice to be in a luxurious country club-style restaurant and enjoy some traditional American food.  By the way, my club sandwich was to die for!  I will say I was pretty envious of their monogram RL coffee cups with matching saucers.

That same week I had dinner in Avec restaurant on Randolph street.  If you head over to this trendy neighborhood, you'll see a string of restaurants back to back.  I haven't been in that area in a while.  It was nice to enjoy a night out in the city.  This tapas restaurant was delish!  I enjoyed the dishes very much and would highly recommend it for a date night out.  

Afterwards we wanted to have some cocktails.  I was curious to see the new Loews hotel, so we headed down there.  We ended up catching the World Series game there.  I loved the lobby bar and even though I'm not a sports fan, had a great time there with the fellow spectators!  Congratulations Kansas!  That was an awesome game!
Tonight me and my family will be celebrating Christmas Eve.  I'm excited to see my mom.  I bought her a vintage brooch and I hope she likes it!  I will let you guys know.  As for everyone out there, please have a safe holiday and enjoy the time spent with family and friends.  If you are spending it alone, there's plenty of Christmas specials on tv as well as blockbuster movies out (hint: Star Wars) for your viewing pleasure.  I'm single so I know how it feels to be alone sometimes.  It's moments like these you go out and try to enjoy your holiday regardless of your circumstance.  Not everyone has it so easy.  No matter how down and out you feel, remember Life has a way of reminding you how blessed you are!  Live life to the fullest!!  And Merry Christmas!!!!!!

 

Check out that mirror!  Loved the décor in RL restaurant!

I cannot find these anywhere, but I need them in my life!



The best club sandwich I've ever had, hands down!

Cheese spread in Avec....

A bottle of pinot to go with our dinner...

I love healthy dishes like this Trout we shared. 

Kale salad with shrimp!  SOOOOOO good!

What I wore to Avec and Loews hotel.  I chose an off the shoulder sweater with bootcut jeans.  Pretty basic since I didn't know where we were heading to.

A Holiday Heat Wave...

Today in Chicago it reached 82 degrees.  So far, it hasn't reached very hot yet, but summer is on it's way.  Unfortunately, the weather will be dipping back into the 60s this weekend.  With the temperatures going back and forth to warm and cold, it's hard to figure out what to put on in the morning.  Regardless, I'm still trying to recap what happened 6 months ago.  Christmas was a special one this year, mostly because we lost a member of the family soon after that.  I'm glad to know that my mom had a chance to be with her husband and share this holiday together.  We started to notice some physical changes after Thanksgiving, which can be a hard pill to swallow when the family gets together.  It is a reminder that no one is ready when their time is ending soon. 
We took a lot of pictures.  We bought a lot of gifts.  My mom bought him a tablet that he enjoyed very much.  I was pretty surprised because my mom is not tech savvy.  Obviously someone introduced her to this fancy gadget.  Looking back at the pictures, I can see how worn out my mom looks.  She looks tired.  During this time, she was working a lot leading up to Christmas.  After that, things died down a bit.  She's in the hospitality business.  Tourism thrives in November and December.  I can't imagine the stress she was going through making sure everything looked festive for her husband.  He did manage to give out a big smile around us.  I hope he enjoyed his time here with us. 

Check out my mom's tree!

Me and my mom...

Me and my brother.  I decided to wear a sparkly blazer.

Time to open up the gifts!

My mom's husband give us a peace- out.  He looks happy here...

 

 

My mom's side of the family has always celebrated Christmas Eve.  On Christmas Day we went over to celebrate with my Dad.  My mom and dad divorced when I was 8 years old.  They both remarried years later.  It was a hard adjustment for our family, and unfortunately, a sign of the times.  Since they both remarried when we were adults, a lot of our childhood was rough.  My mom did her best with the 3 of us, but it wasn't easy on her at all.  It was a tough transition, and I have many difficult moments trying to piece what my life would have been like if they did stay together.  What type of person would have I been instead of who I am now?  I learned to let go of the what ifs and decided to focus on the person who I am today.  And in the present, my father reached out to us to focus on our relationship.  We had a great holiday with him and his wife.  I feel very blessed knowing at that time, my family was safe and together.

Me and my dad.  His dog is hiding in his lap.

My brother with his girlfriend.  They look happy!