Stanley Cup fail...

Well as you all know now, the Chicago Blackhawks fell short on obtaining the Stanley Cup this year.  We have been spoiled on celebrating last year, 2013, and 2010.  But as the years go by, our team has made many changes as contract negotiations take place.  It is what it is.  It doesn't mean we aren't die hard Hawks fan!  We love them very much and will be looking forward to next season.
Game 6 took place last Saturday and the whole city was watching.  I ran my usual errands and made way down to Crossroads Public House to meet up with my friends.  I wore my Blackhawks Championship cap that I got for my birthday last year.  Too bad I won't be wearing it again anytime soon!  lol.  Regardless, we won that game and it got everyone in a really good mood.  I decided to head out to Bottled Blonde for a bit and then ended it at National 27.  Everywhere was packed!  I knew I didn't want to be out too late because I wanted to wake up early for church the next day.  The weekend was beautiful!!  I'm missing that weather already...

My friend got a table at Crossroads Public House for the game. 

Ran into an old friend and we decided to have a celebratory shot for the Hawks win!

Trust me, I definitely regretted those shots the next day...

So much for showing off my cap.  I only got to wear it once!

Bathroom selfie at National 27.  I love cool bathrooms...

Housewarming Wine Tasting Party!

Last Friday I attended a wine tasting at a friend's new house in the burbs.  She recently made the transition from the city and was throwing a party to show off her new home to her friends.  Growing up in the city of Chicago, I have grown accustomed to the fast pace lifestyle, (although lately I've been wondering if I'm ever going to slow down).  Although it took a while to drive through rush hour traffic to get there, you can see how happy everyone was see us.  Her kids couldn't wait to show us their brand new bedrooms.  Better school system, everything is conveniently closer, and the low crime rate convinced us this was the best decision our friend made for her family.  They needed more room and the cost of living in Chicago has  skyrocketed.  I'm happy for them.  As for us, we got a chance to enjoy some wine from Italy, Argentina, and Germany!  I missed my friends and it was nice to see everyone again. 

We all got a chance to give warm wishes to the host by writing messages on a wine glass that she gets to keep.

He's too cute!!

Everyone wanted a chance to hold him...

Another selfie in the books!  What a long day!

When doves cry...

Today is a sad day for me.  We lost another music legend.  It took me a while to comprehend what happened, mostly because I was in denial.  Once news started circulating, I felt sadness. 
I grew up in the 80s.  I was a kid.  Coming out of the 70s, I was still too young to understand music.  Pre-teens was an interesting time for me.  I was very shy and reserved.  I played with my barbies while my brothers were constantly beating each other up.
Eventually, I got into music with the help of MTV.  Beforehand, my family would watch Solid Gold and American Bandstand religiously.  That's how we grew our love for music by watching artists perform.  Yet music videos was another way to visualize lyrics, and that's what drew people in.  Hearing a song on the radio and then anxiously waiting for the video release. 
Michael Jackson, Madonna, Prince, The Police, Duran Duran all had top albums in the 80s.  Everyone loved pop music.  I can remember my aunt going out to the clubs and secretly wishing I was her.  I couldn't wait to grow up.
But why was that?  Looking back into the 70s disco era, there was some suggestive sexual music playing, but with the 80s music video era, we can actually see artist do things we couldn't imagine doing before.  Everyone oozed sexual appeal, and for me, a young girl playing with her barbies, I knew something naughty was going on.  I just didn't understand it yet.
Prince was an artist that people tried to figure out, but couldn't quite get at first.  He was petite, but held such a strong presence.  If he walked in a room, he owned it.  The music was another story.  Not many artists sang and played multiple instruments.  He was incredibly talented and ahead of his own time.  Those who followed him went under his spell immediately.  He had a huge fan base and I was one of them.
I am so saddened by his death.  I looked up to him as a fellow Gemini.  I understood his creativity.  Most Geminis have a hard time expressing all of our thoughts, but Prince managed to express it with his music.  As different as it was at the time, he made it work.  I will miss him dearly as I missed my other idols.  They were one of a kind in their own unique way. 

His lyrics carried so much emotion in a world full of "pop" music...

My brother trying to console me...

R.I.P legend 

Let's play GOLF!

Chicago had an unbelievable weekend of gorgeous weather.  And whenever that happens, EVERYONE comes out to play!  Since we usually get a late spring, it was a nice surprise for us to feel the sun for a change.  A friend had a birthday earlier in the week, and she wanted to celebrate it by going to Top Golf.  I've never been, and was hesitant to go at first, mainly because I suck at sports.  I don't have a problem making fun of myself, trust me.  It's just that there ARE people who are competitive by nature, and the last thing you want to do is bring down the team.  They clarified that all we'll be doing is shooting balls, so I said fine.
First of all, what do you wear to play golf???  Automatically you think preppy polo shirts with khakis (which by the way, I DO NOT OWN).  I knew my friends were throwing anything on, and it's not like we were heading to an exclusive country club.  The temperature was in the 70s, so I threw on a graphic tee with jeans and opted to wear sandals for the first time this season.  Throwing on a twill moto jacket might have been too much, but I definitely did not look golfer chic.  lol.  It did get me thinking I should have more basics in my closet in case something like this happens again. 
Off we went to Woodale!  It was funny because it was the first time this particular group of friends and I went to a destination unknown.  Usually we go out on the weekends in downtown Chicago.  We made it there within the hour due to the heavy traffic.  Yet once we got inside we were told it was a two hour wait.  We decided to eat and have some drinks.  Since it was a beautiful day, we made the most of our time together.
Finally it was our turn.  Of course I sucked, but luckily, everyone else wasn't a pro either.  I DO want to get better at it.  I'm glad we got a chance to try something new and be outside.  It's a little out of our way, but I would definitely go back again. 



Strawberry Margarita!

A great day to play golf!

FOUR!

I love them...

Best filter on snap...

Monday Mayhem

My commute to work was troubled due to a suicide jumper on the Blue Line.  At first, without knowing all the details, it cast a negative impact with all the riders.  Everyone wants to go to work and not be troubled.  Then word of mouth came from a fellow commuter that a person got hit and all service lines were stopped because of it.  Off I ran across the street to make it on the metra train.  I made it to work 2 minutes late and didn't think much about it, but because of the domino effect it had on the city, other people I worked with were late as well.  That's when I heard that a person committed suicide and jumped in front of a train. 
The responses were surprising.  "They had to do this during rush hour?", and "Why couldn't they do this on the train after mine?".  In the end, someone chose to end their life publicly and it's heart breaking.  I feel for the person who thought this was the answer to end whatever they were going through. 
I can understand how tough things can get.  I had a bad week last week.  News about family members, co-worker's and friends were pretty depressing.  As I get older, I pray that everyone finds peace within themselves.  Life can get frustrating.  Sometimes people check out.
Which is what hurt me about what happened.  Suicides are becoming more frequent on the cta.  I pray that people find the spirit to move past their hurt and trust that this too shall pass.  I wish we could find ways to incorporate more self awareness with stress and other mental issues in our daily lives.  Faith is what pulls me through!  It's not always going to be sunshine and roses.  There will be times when things won't go your way.  Just trust that everything will work itself out.
Last week on Monday a friend of ours was making his way through town.  He had an exam he had to take, and afterwards, wanted to catch up with everyone.  We decided on Happy Hour at The Scout and had a good group going.  Once we finished up in there, we were itching to do something fun with everyone.  We made our way over to Marina Towers to go to Spin Chicago.  Last time we were there, we never got a chance to play ping pong.  This time we were determined.  I was surprised how much fun I had in there.  I'm absolutely terrible when it comes down to sports of any kind.  But I will say this, I DO try anything once! 

I'm a sucker for margaritas.  Happy hour at The Scout!

Time for some ping pong action!

Let's do this!

A tub full of ping pong balls in a tub!  Perfect for a selfie!

Luckily the rules aren't so complicated...

It's good to connect with old friends...

When friends unite!

Today it's suppose to be warming up, with the weekend possibly reaching to the upper 60s.  A sharp contrast from last week's frigid weather.  I DID wear my trench for the first time, so maybe they're on to something.  Sorry, it's my nature to assume winter isn't quite over yet.  Considering I had plans last weekend I was out there in the cold.  I faced the challenge to get out of the house altogether.  I almost talked myself out of seeing Bob Sinclar.  For the birthday party at La Scarola I was surprised most of us showed up considering the snow and traffic were against us.  To top it off, another friend of ours was in town and wanted to get everyone together.  That might be challenging.  I told myself I would do it, but knew deep down the others weren't going to make it.  I had no reason not to be there, but it would have nice to see more faces.  He seem disappointed at first but in the end, we had a good time.  Regardless, our group was going to make the best of our Saturday night.  We started out at Hubbard Inn and caught up with one another.  We got stuck on deciding what to do next.  We hopped over to Graffiti Lounge before they closed their doors, and again, were stuck deciding where to go.  Then it started to rain.  And not just any rain.  Rain-snow as they call it.  I was done.  I wanted to make it to church and workout the next day, so I knew my time was up.  The weather is always a factor when it comes down to Chicago. 

LOVE playing with filters!  I'm enjoying my new phone. 

Good times with this crew...

I'm glad he's settling well in California...

TROUBLE

I like the peeking-bra look. 

Birthday Dinner Blizzard

And the festivities continue!  This weekend the weather will be warming up into the high 60s, which means we'll finally be able to enjoy the sun for a change and not freeze in the process.  We haven't had good weather in weeks so I'm pretty excited about that.  Maybe I'll go for a run again??  Who knows?  All I can say that compared to last weekend, the weather was BRUTAL. 
After my night out at Studio Paris last Thursday, the next day I came into work for half a day.  I had a birthday dinner to attend too afterwards.  I was glad the restaurant was nearby because it wouldn't stop snowing!  I made my way to La Scarola, but our table wasn't ready so we went across the street to The Dawson for some pre-drinks.  It was nice catching up to everyone.  Of course, due to the weather, rush hour, and the home opening Sox game, some of our friends were running terribly behind.  We made the most of it, and luckily, the rest of our crew walked in altogether. 

I had the linguini with clams but I absolutely LOVED my friend's dish which was the penne all vodka with shrimp and asparagus!  That creamy sauce was to die for!!  Overall, everyone enjoyed their meal.  We even brought our own birthday cake to top it off!  Too bad it started snowing again!  That was pretty frustrating...



Wore a white lace top from Express with my skinny jeans and cognac ankle boots.  I knew it was a neighborhood restaurant, so I didn't dress up.

I love them...

Happiness is being with friends...

The birthday girl! 

She's excited about motherhood!

Linguini with clams

Now that's a cake!

Cozy restaurant!  We squeezed in for our pic!