The Chicago Blackhawks are in the playoffs!!

Ending my recap of May events, last but not least, was the blackhawks playoff' game at Timothy O'Toole's Pub.  We had a pretty solid group gather up together in what was a memorable night for all of us.  I wore my new Blackhawks t-shirt I bought at Target.  Since I'm a terrible Chicago sports fan, I joked to my brothers that if the hawks make it to the playoffs, I'll get a hawks shirt.  I own a Chicago Bears shirt and a Bulls shirt, but I was still missing the championship winning Blackhawks.  I have a Chicago Cubs hat and Sox hat too, so I think I'm good in that department.  lol.  Regardless, part of the appeal in Chicago is the fact that we are in LOVE with our teams, (just not me, because I hate sports). 
Growing up with two brothers who were constantly grabbing the remote to watch yet ANOTHER Chicago team game, I grew to hate watching sports.  And I was the awkward girl in High School who was terrible at playing sports as well.  As I've gotten older, I've had more of a if-you-can't-beat-them-join-them mentality to sports, mostly because everyone here in Chicago LOVES sports!  I looked at it more or less as a social gathering of sorts, where we can drink and get goofy and once in a while, glance over at the game.
Not very sportsman like in my opinion, but I can't grasp the excitement of sport watching, period.  That's what I think made this a wonderful night for me.  I got to see my friends again, and make new ones too!  We ended up winning the game which lead us to the championship series, which of course, we won the Stanley Cup.  I will say that the Blackhawks were an important part in making my summer memorable!  lol.  More details later...
Happy Friday everyone and remember, I'll be back soon to finish recapping my June, July and August events in a few weeks.  I'm off to make new memories for myself since I am going on vacation again.  Might be my only one this year so I promise I'll make it good.  lol.  ttyl

Timothy O' Toole's was PACKED!



Bathroom selfie.  It was still a little nippy at night even though it was the last weekend in May!

Memorial Day!

On Memorial Day Monday my friend hosted a small gathering at her new condo.  She wanted people to bring champagne while she took care of the grill.  I thought that was a splendid way to spend the holiday!  Girl talk and enjoying the hot weather.  It was officially HOT so I busted out the shorts.  The funny thing about switching seasons is looking through your summer stash of clothes.  I got rid of 2 bags full of out-dated clothes and gave them away to friends and family.  As we're now in the middles of August I'll be doing the same thing again for fall/winter clothes.  I've been trying to be more thoughtful on my spending as well.  I worked in retail for over 10 years and accumulated a huge wardrobe over the years.  I've also learned a thing or two on what to invest in and what to be thrifty with.
First of all, summer clothes basically consist of shorts, tees, and tanks.  And here in Chicago, the humidity is what makes it feel scorching.  I try to wear breathable materials such as cotton because it helps dealing with sweat.  If I wear a pricey silk item, I'm consciously aware that that sweat won't absorb as well.  The last thing you want is to wear a sweaty silk top trying to look cute.  Polyester tops work better only if they're sleeveless (since it's not a natural fabric).  In this end, it's best to go "cheap" for summer clothes in natural cotton and skip out wearing the pricier silk items since they do not work well in humidity.
Dresses,  Dresses are a sensitive subject for me because I'm not a dress girl.  I have friends, though, that ONLY wear dresses in their wardrobe, so I understand how dresses have an impact when it comes to shopping.   I do although have a rule of thumb when it comes to dresses.  If a dress fits you perfectly, and you absolutely love it, no matter what the occasion the dress is for (cocktail, day dress, clubbing, etc.), BUY IT.  There were times in my life that I did buy a dress for just that reason alone, and it has worked for me over the years.  I have a beautiful white wrap dress that I bought 10 years ago and I still get compliments on where I got it from.  I've worn it a bunch of times and it hasn't failed me once.  In this factor, price does not matter.  Whether it's high end, or from forever 21, I still take extra care of my dresses regardless, mostly because I want to have multiple wears out of it.  If I do buy a dress, it's because I absolutely am in love with it, plain and simple.  Occasions will arise out of no where and you'll be glad you can rock your beautiful dress.  Patience is the key.
I've had my share of impulse buying and that has never worked for me, mostly because you're buying something for the sake of buying.  You just want to walk out with something in your hand and that's crazy because you're not even sure if you like what you just bought.  Try to purchase items you're in love with and you won't go wrong. 
Shoes are definitely an investment item, so there you might spend a pretty penny.  It has been my experience that my pricier shoes have lasted longer over the years AND bottom line, they are more comfortable than my cheaper shoes.  They are simply made better so it's best that you invest in shoes and get your money's worth.
The following weekend I went to a country concert at Joe's on Weed Street with my friend who had an extra ticket.  I rarely do country outings but I had a good time watching the show.  Joe's reminds me of the spots I visited in Nashville, so if you want to do the live-country music-scene, go to Joe's.   

Memorial Day BBQ with champagne and these lovely ladies!

Checking out Cadillac3 at Joe's on Weed Street!

They rocked!

A very special Mother's Day...

Happy Monday world!!  Sometimes I get the Monday Blues, but I try to fight off the funk with some positive vibes.  Think about it.  It's the start of a new work week.  Try to demolish your goals so you can sit back and praise the work you have done.  Any type of effort will increase your chances on getting stuff accomplished.  Right now for me personally, it's to finish up May's events on my blog.  lol
Back in May, me and my brothers tried to convince my mom to let us take her out for dinner on Mother's Day.  But she wasn't having it.  She really wanted us to come over instead.  My only problem with that is her overly-hyper dog.  I'm asthmatic and me and my brother are both allergic to her dog.  It would have been nice to not to meet at her house for a change so me and my brother could breathe properly.  Not to mention our time is always limited with our mom because we end up leaving early.  What can you do?  Despite us taking some Allegra for our allergies, it still doesn't eliminate the problem completely.  She also hates leaving the dog out in the yard.  He yelps too much, so she always caves and lets him in.
My asthma and allergies have had conflicts in my life through out the years.  Despite what people think, I had pets early in my life, although it would have been wise not to.  I would use my inhaler constantly.  I never "overcame" my asthma.  When I moved out of my mother's house with my first boyfriend, it didn't stop there.  One day he came home and brought home a dog.  A couple of months later, he brought home a cat.  Now I'm in my 20s and I STILL didn't overcome my asthma.  This was becoming a problem in my life and in my relationships.  When we finally broke up, he took our pets and I haven't had a pet since.
The problem with this is people are IN LOVE with their pets and they assume, I do not like animals because I won't get near them.  That is false, of course.  But since people look at their animals as part of the family, they cannot grasp the concept of locking their animals away whenever me and my brother come around.  I look like the bad guy. 
I wish my mom would have done the same for us, but she loves her dog so much and couldn't keep him outside while we were there.  So again, our home cooked meal was limited to an hour and a half before me and my brother's allergies got the best of us.  I think because my mom is still in mourning, she wasn't ready to face a crowded restaurant.  She just wanted to be home.  Come to think about it, she really doesn't go anywhere but her house and work.  I'm hoping we can take her out to dinner in a restaurant when her birthday comes around in September.  Let's pray that she'll let us!  It would be nice for her to get out and about once in a while. 
This mother's day was an emotional one for her, but at least we spent it together as a family.

WE LOVE OUR MOM!!!

She means so much to me.

My younger brother and my mom.  He is the only one who doesn't have a problem with her dog.  LUCKY!!

My "older" brother and my mom.  He is not asthmatic like me but has seasonal allergies as well as being allergic to pets.

 

Cinco de Mayo bar crawl!!!

This definitely was one of my highlights so far this year.  It was completely unexpected and in the end, I had a blast with new people checking out new places.  My friend needed a favor to help volunteer a bar crawl in River North.  I had no plans so off I went.  Luckily the weather warmed up pretty quickly now that we entered May.  But Chicago was busy that day.  The NFL draft was being held in downtown, the Kentucky Derby and the Pacquio vs Mayweather boxing match was being televised, along with our Cinco de Mayo bar crawl.  There was traffic everywhere!  We made our way down to meet the people we were working with.  Everyone had a pretty good vibe we were going to have a successful event.  I've never done this type of thing, so I was excited to help in anyway I could.  We were stationed at Hubbard Inn to check the patrons in. 
First of all, I had no idea what goes on organizing an event like this!  It was an eye-opening experience for me, because I love to go out and have fun.  But there's a lot of hard work behind the scenes.  This is a business based off  making sure everyone is enjoying themselves.  I loved meeting the people who participated in the crawl.  A lot of them where out-of-towners who were visiting Chicago for the first time.  For the most part, my friend and I gave out drink tickets and checked off names; pretty simple stuff.  Yet the smiles we encountered made this worthwhile experience for me.  What a great Saturday I had! 

Hubbard Inn's complimentary tequila sunrise cocktail (with drink ticket).

They even had a mariachi band!

Next stop on the crawl, Municipal Bar!

Shay had a Kentucky Derby party!

Last spot, Epic's rooftop!

Good times with the bar crawl crew!