London House!

After the devastating news that surrounded us last week, I was grateful my friends wanted to meet up for drinks.  I've been very sensitive lately, and I knew in my heart I wanted to see familiar faces.  My friends are definitely the close family I wish I had.  They know how to make me feel better.  I'm nervous about my upcoming trip, and getting together was just what I needed.
I made my way down there before anyone else.  I noticed there was a pretty intense line.  I figured I would wait it out until my friends arrived.  If the line wouldn't move up much, I would assume we would go somewhere else.  Don't get me wrong, people did leave.  I understand not wanting to wait 45 minutes to get inside a venue.  But the host insisted it would be worth the wait, and she was right!
I finally walked in and I fell in love!  What a beautiful view!  People couldn't help themselves with their selfie posts.  My friends were finally on their way and I gave them a heads up.  I made some new friends myself waiting in line and we all walked over to the bar.  This place gave us a rush.  We were living for the moment!
I had a wonderful night with everyone.  It made me love my friends even more.  I wish I can keep everyone close to me, but I know deep down that's impossible.  No matter where our paths lead us, they will always be in my heart.  I wish things would get better in our world.  I've never felt an uncertainty about where things are going in this lifetime than I do now.  I will never give up on wanting a better life for ourselves, free of hate and violence.  It's moments like these that make it feel possible for peace...

London House!

It's gorgeous at night!

Couldn't help myself for a selfie...

Seafood platter...

My new friends.  They're from Guatemala!

What I wore to London House.  My shoes are new from Stuart Weitzman...

They made it!  lol

Happy birthday America...

Last weekend was July 4th weekend.  For the most part, I had a nice time off spending it with friends.  I would have never guessed the week we all experienced as an American.  What we have witnessed via internet has caused a tremendous amount of outrage throughout the world.  What was suppose to be a peaceful protest turned into an ambush of blood and death.  I am at a loss for words.
Terrorism and racism has been the subject for hundreds of years.  We've read throughout the horrors of history on how hate has caused genocide, war, and a loss of civilian lives.  What's staggering to me is that it's 2016 and we've come back to a full circle.  There has been no progression whatsoever, and even though we are taught that in our culture, everyone is welcomed and free to express who they are in our country, there has always been backlash that comes along with it.  The roots of racism has been passed down too far along.  There seems to be no means to an end.
I am saddened to hear so much chaos in all parts of the world.  It's an uneasy feeling when others are aware on what's going on, but are not willing to help.  Whether it's countries hiding genocide, or police men standing by murdering police men, no one is stepping in or speaking out about these crimes.  Have we gotten so use to the fact that these incidents are just a part of life?  What has happened to us along the way?
I had remembered Princess Diana soon after the holiday.  Her birthday had passed on July 1st, and she was brought up again on social media.  I cannot name anyone who has touched so many people since her passing.  She was a beautiful woman who truly loved people, regardless of their circumstances.  From her countless charity work, she would give her undivided attention to the hopeless.  Her smile was contagious.  I miss her dearly.
If we could only learn by example how harmless it is being gracious with one another?  To love and cherish every human being!  To learn from one another our differences!  It seems so hopeless with all of the destructiveness going on in the world.  I am fearing our lives on what it has become at this point.  Have we made it to the point of no return?  Are we going to continue living like this until we are all wiped out?  Is this how it ends, people turning against people? 
I cherish the memories I made last weekend.  I made it to Chicago SummerDance on Friday after work.  It was the start of a three day holiday, and the city was crowded with tourists.  I was excited to meet up with my friends because we knew we were going to have a good time.  Mickey Mixin Oliver was headlining the event.  He was at the Hot Mix 5 event I went to a few weeks back.  More house music to dance to.  We had so much fun that day!  I loved watching people walk over to the sound of the music.  Some had no idea what was going on until they started to dance themselves.  What a moment to be carefree!
The next day I met up with some friends to watch the Italy vs Germany soccer game.  This was a big one, with Germany winning by penalty.  My friend in Italy was messaging me at the same time.  I felt bad Italy lost since she mentioned the whole town was watching this game.  There went their Saturday night...
The next day was Sunday, which I assumed even thought technically it was the 3rd that people would be shooting off fireworks.  My friends held a bbq at their place.  We laughed and told stories while the neighbors shot off fireworks.  I had a joyous holiday!
Since the 4th fell on a Monday, I ran my errands then.  I did not expect so many fireworks being shot off that night.  I had to get up early the next day for work, but I know better now.  I ended my night talking to my mom and checking up with her.
Then the rest of the week happened.
Today is Friday, and I am glad this work week is over.  I am going to tune out social media as well as the news for the rest of the weekend.  I just want to see my friends and check up on them.  I want to love the people in my life for now.  Until next post.  Take care and be safe and don't forget to love...


Chicago SummerDance!



It drew a good crowd...

Yes we are proud house heads.  lol



Mickey Mixin Oliver

I wanted to practice my self stick skills before I go on vacation...

Feeling patriotic...

Veggie and fruit salad at the bbq. 

Happy birthday America...

Last weekend was July 4th weekend.  For the most part, I had a nice time off spending it with friends.  I would have never guessed the week we all experienced as an American.  What we have witnessed via internet has caused a tremendous amount of outrage throughout the world.  What was suppose to be a peaceful protest turned into an ambush of blood and death.  I am at a loss for words.
Terrorism and racism has been the subject for hundreds of years.  We've read throughout the horrors of history on how hate has caused genocide, war, and a loss of civilian lives.  What's staggering to me is that it's 2016 and we've come back to a full circle.  There has been no progression whatsoever, and even though we are taught that in our culture, everyone is welcomed and free to express who they are in our country, there has always been backlash that comes along with it.  The roots of racism has been passed down too far along.  There seems to be no means to an end.
I am saddened to hear so much chaos in all parts of the world.  It's an uneasy feeling when others are aware on what's going on, but are not willing to help.  Whether it's countries hiding genocide, or police men standing by murdering police men, no one is stepping in or speaking out about these crimes.  Have we gotten so use to the fact that these incidents are just a part of life?  What has happened to us along the way?
I had remembered Princess Diana soon after the holiday.  Her birthday had passed on July 1st, and she was brought up again on social media.  I cannot name anyone who has touched so many people since her passing.  She was a beautiful woman who truly loved people, regardless of their circumstances.  From her countless charity work, she would give her undivided attention to the hopeless.  Her smile was contagious.  I miss her dearly.
If we could only learn by example how harmless it is being gracious with one another?  To love and cherish every human being!  To learn from one another our differences!  It seems so hopeless with all of the destructiveness going on in the world.  I am fearing our lives on what it has become at this point.  Have we made it to the point of no return?  Are we going to continue living like this until we are all wiped out?  Is this how it ends, people turning against people? 
I cherish the memories I made last weekend.  I made it to Chicago SummerDance on Friday after work.  It was the start of a three day holiday, and the city was crowded with tourists.  I was excited to meet up with my friends because we knew we were going to have a good time.  Mickey Mixin Oliver was headlining the event.  He was at the Hot Mix 5 event I went to a few weeks back.  More house music to dance to.  We had so much fun that day!  I loved watching people walk over to the sound of the music.  Some had no idea what was going on until they started to dance themselves.  What a moment to be carefree!
The next day I met up with some friends to watch the Italy vs Germany soccer game.  This was a big one, with Germany winning by penalty.  My friend in Italy was messaging me at the same time.  I felt bad Italy lost since she mentioned the whole town was watching this game.  There went their Saturday night...
The next day was Sunday, which I assumed even thought technically it was the 3rd that people would be shooting off fireworks.  My friends held a bbq at their place.  We laughed and told stories while the neighbors shot off fireworks.  I had a joyous holiday!
Since the 4th fell on a Monday, I ran my errands then.  I did not expect so many fireworks being shot off that night.  I had to get up early the next day for work, but I know better now.  I ended my night talking to my mom and checking up with her.
Then the rest of the week happened.
Today is Friday, and I am glad this work week is over.  I am going to tune out social media as well as the news for the rest of the weekend.  I just want to see my friends and check up on them.  I want to love the people in my life for now.  Until next post.  Take care and be safe and don't forget to love...


Chicago SummerDance!



It drew a good crowd...

Yes we are proud house heads.  lol



Mickey Mixin Oliver

I wanted to practice my self stick skills before I go on vacation...

Feeling patriotic...

Veggie and fruit salad at the bbq. 

Baby Shower In the Burbs!

I can't believe July 4th weekend is here already!  We had our last softball game for the season this week.  We came close to having some wins this year, but it was a tough situation trying to get people to participate.  Our firm kept a lot of attorneys busy in May which made it difficult getting a solid team going.  Regardless, there's talks it might be our last season.  I made a lot of wonderful memories with my co-workers.  I'm hoping it's not so but it's out of my control.  All good things must come to an end.

That goes to say the same for traveling.  I am growing afraid of the times we live in now.  What happened in Istanbul is unfortunately our new reality and it's occurring too frequently.  It makes me feel uneasy because I will be overseas soon, but part of me knows I have to overcome this fear.  Feeling afraid, or skeptical of people in general is not the way to live your life.  Everyone has differences, but in the end, what we have in common is the same general needs we all want for ourselves:  love, health, the safety of our friends and family.  I feel the world needs to reintroduce themselves to each other again and discover how wonderful we all truly are.  I want to meet new people, make new friends, take the opportunity to discover new places.  It's what brings us closer to one another; to love.  I pray that the violence will stop.  I know we can live peacefully within each other.  We need to do this!

Last Friday my friends wanted to come over to celebrate my birthday.  I told them it was over already and that it wasn't a big deal, but they insisted.  They came by with a ton of wine and sushi and of course, their babies!!  We had a great time catching up with one another.  There are so many changes coming up in the near future.  We are trying our best to make some time for each other.  I'm excited for their plans but it does bring a certain sadness knowing we won't be able to do this all the time.  Hopefully we'll be able to continue our group textes.  Sometimes those are enough to bring a smile to your face.

Birthday sushi!

The next day I had dinner and drinks at Cantina Laredo.  I've always passed up the place, but I must say, I enjoyed my night there.  It was SUPER hot that weekend, and there were a ton of people in the city.  I realized I haven't had the chance to walk around River North in months.  I had a nice time.

The next day I had to get up early for a baby shower out in Morton Grove.  It was at the Arboretum.  These are the kind of occasions I dread because I never have something to wear.  Luckily I found a dress on ebay and everyone loved it.  I know I have to step up on my wardrobe, but I have a big trip coming up and I have to save up for that.  I cannot spend my money foolishly.

It was a great time of fun and games, plus, lots of pictures!  I cannot wait to see how they came out.  They had a photographer walking around and we happily posed.  Since it was 90 degrees that day, we didn't have a chance to walk around and checkout the Arboretum, which is a shame because it did look very pretty out there.  Hopefully one day I can make my way out to Morton Grove again.

I love this picture!  We had so much fun that day!

Hope everyone enjoys their holiday weekend.  Due to the terrorism acts in Istanbul, America is in high alert.  Remember if you see anything fishy, call the police and get help!  We have to stick together and help one another.  The violence in Istanbul could have had more casualties if the police didn't intervene.  Be safe and love one another! 

Birthday Weekend!

This has been a busy week to say the least!  I can officially say as of now I'm done planning my 2 day trip to Athens.  Just booked the hotel and now I'm looking into where to stay when I arrive at the islands.  Since I knew what my points of interests were in Athens, I booked the hotel near the center of attractions within walking distance.  I am not sure yet when my friend in Italy will arrive to meet me so I opted for a hotel for safety concerns.  In trip planning, you have to keep in mind that you will get lost.  I don't think people schedule enough time for that part.  I understand that there are people who just show up and go with the flow.  I am NOT one of those people.  I look into everything!  Transportation; points of interests; reviews from various sites.  I need to know if it's worth the effort to visit certain places.  You could be disappointed so it's good to read reviews.  At the same time, you know yourself more than anyone.  People do complain a lot and you need to read between the lines.  What may be bothersome for one may not be a  big deal to you, so pay attention to what people are saying.  That's my travel tip for the day!


Last weekend, my birthday came upon me with no planning whatsoever on how to celebrate.  I didn't think too much about it since it fell on Father's Day Sunday this year.  Saturday I deep cleaned my apartment because I had a spider wandering around.  He bit me 4x during the week!  I knew I had to wait till the weekend to thoroughly vacuum.  I also had to visit my brother briefly because he had surgery and I wanted to check up on him.  My mother has been worried sick about him and I had to see for myself on how he was handling his recovery.  Luckily he's doing a lot better and was up and about when I came over.  I felt good about his health, so I left his place late in the afternoon to see what was happening in the city.


I was making my way over to Diversy harbor to visit a friend who recently purchased a small boat.  I am terrified of boating in general, but I knew they were still doing maintenance work on it.  I felt I wouldn't be put on a compromised position if they were to set sail.  We sat around with his partners and enjoyed the rest of the day catching up.  I had a great time plus there's so much action going on at the dock.  I saw an eyeful...

Chilling at Diversy Harbor...

Loud music blasting away.  I can't believe each boat were playing their own music out loud.  It sounded terrible!!

The next day was Father's Day and I kept it low key for the first half of the day.  I went to church, then later on to the gym, when my friend texted me to see what's up.  We wondered if we could have a birthday cocktail somewhere.  I called my dad once he got off work and we chatted for a bit.  I knew he was going to watch the basketball championship game with my brother so I didn't feel too bad not passing by to visit him.  I am not into sports so I opted to pass on this important game and join my friends instead.
We settled for Cindy's Rooftop at the Chicago Athletic Club and I absolutely LOVED the view!!  It's beautiful!!  We just talked and had some margaritas up there but I was blown away!

Good times at Cindy's

We decided to check out their game room downstairs and munch on some snacks before we headed  to another spot.  We went back towards Randolph area at Beer Bistro and ended up watching the rest of the game there.  Again, not my thing, but at least we did chat up a storm.

So much for the game.  I was not rooting for Lebron btw...

We walked around the corner afterwards and found Federals.  The roof was open, so it was nice to sit at a restaurant and look up to the sky.  Despite everything that is happening in the world, it's a wonderful thing when you get a chance to make some memories with friends.  It's important to hold on to them tight... 

Athens booked!! Happy birthday to me

I just booked my trip to Greece earlier this week.  I'm excited because it was a decision I made to myself a few months ago.  I knew I wanted to visit my friend in Italy.  The question was what other country could I visit as well.  When she was in town, we discussed our plans for the summer.  I mentioned how Greece was on my mind, and she agreed to meet me there.  I can't wait!!
I feel I'm a little late on the travel game.  Some of my friends have been to wonderful places all over the world, and it always sparked my curiosity.  But as the saying goes- Life just happens.  The truth is, when I was younger, it was never the right time to travel overseas.  It takes time and money to plan accordingly, and I didn't have the discipline to budget myself for such a trip.  Now that I'm older and have paid off some debt, it's gotten financially easier for me to go away.  I have made numerous weekend getaways to Miami, New York and Vegas in my 30s.  Traveling overseas, on the other hand, is a bit more tricky...
One of the things I remembered from listening to my friends discuss a recent trip to South America, is how they didn't "expect" it to be the way the way it turned out.  I remember discussing that conversation with my uncle who has traveled all over the world.  He asked me, "Well what did they expect?"  I replied that I didn't know.  He then followed with another question.  "Well what do they like?"  I was thrown off.  He continued, "If they are into beaches and laying out, then they should have went somewhere else.  Didn't they know ___________ is not known for that?"  I told him apparently not.  "The thing about traveling--you should ask yourself what do you like." 
Traveling to unknown places and locations, no matter where it is, depends on your taste.  Some people enjoy the outdoors, nature hikes, canoeing or camping, so they obviously book their trips to national parks, Alaska, the Grand Canyon or other out door locales.  If you go on vacation specifically to lay out and catch some rays, a majority of people book places in the Caribbean, or Mexico's Playa del Carmen, etc.  If you are a city girl, then cities from around the world would excite you.
That's the category I fit in.  I am a city girl who loves skylines, the nightlife, museums and fashion.  I enjoy people watching instead of bird watching.  I know what excites me and it sometimes doesn't fit in with what other people like.  That's the beauty of traveling.  You customize your trip to whatever interests you!  Since my friend in Italy has the same interests as me, I enjoy our adventures together because we feed off one another.  We have a good time and I know she's not bored with what's going on.  The only downfall with her is that she's not into museums like I am, so I know for Athens we might have to arrange for her to come meet me at a later date.  I am particularly interested in visiting the Acropolis in general, and do not want to miss my opportunity to visit such a historic site. 
The other factors I am considering is how long will I stay in Athens in general; if I have enough time to visit a nearby city, and trying to make my way out to the islands.  I chose Santorini and Mykonos as my 2 top choices because they have more of a party atmosphere.  There are over 200 islands in Greece, all which have distinctive personalities to choose from.  If I wanted something low key to relax, I would have picked another island.
I am relying on sites such as Lonely Planet, Trip Advisor, as well as top travel bloggers such as The Blonde Abroad, and The Sweetest Way for information on planning my vacation.  This trip will be a little different to plan because it will depend a lot on the weather conditions to reach out to the islands.  I have seen low flights one way to reach either Santorini or Mykonos, but the majority do travel out there on a ferry boat.  There's a lot to consider!
Regardless, I'm glad I got a chance to share my traveling news and be on the lookout for more tips I'll be encountering as I continue to plan my Greek adventure! 

Hot Mix 5 house party!

With softball during the week, I've noticed how time flies so quickly!  My birthday is coming up this weekend and I don't have any plans!  It falls on Father's Day Sunday, so I wasn't planning on doing anything special but spending it with family.  The past couple of years, my birthday was surrounded by so much sadness.  It wasn't by choice, trust me!  Sometimes I felt guilty to celebrate because of the things that were happening around me. 
But that's life.  You can't help what goes on.  Now more than ever, with the incidents involving Orlando in general (shooting of The Voice's singer Christina Grimmie; the mass shooting of Pulse Nightclub; 2 year old toddler at Walt Disney Resort), it's difficult to celebrate again.  I rather be with my friends and family who I love dearly and reflect on the fact I made it to another year of life.
If there's anything that these incidents have proven to me is tomorrow is never guaranteed.
With that in mind, I would like to reflect on last weekend.  I was going to celebrate a friend's birthday at the Hot Mix 5 house party at Mc Cormick Place.  I knew it was an all day event, so I figured I'll get some chores done first.  It was a very HOT Saturday, which is why I chose to preserve my energy for the evening.  I snuck in a workout, showered up, when one of my friends suggested to meet up at the Wells Street Art Festival in Old Town.  She initially said to meet around 4pm.  Seemed doable to me.  Off I went to Old Town!



My kind of cats!  lol

The Wells Street Art Festival is located on Wells between North Avenue and Division.  It's one of the most popular neighborhood festivals Chicago has to offer.  With over 200 artists displaying their work of eclectic art, you'll be sure to find some eye-catching handiwork.  I always have a good time, so I didn't want to miss this opportunity to go with my friends.  But once I arrived, the time changed to meeting up around 5pm.  I still had some time to kill before heading to the birthday celebration, so I was fine with the time change.  But then it changed again.  I knew this was too good to be true.  I walked around and checked out the band at O'Brien's while sipping on white wine.  BIG MISTAKE.
It was brutally HOT, and the sun would not give.  The temperature reached 95 degrees that day.  I had another glass of wine and that's when it hit me.  I felt dizzy.  I knew I had to eat something before I headed to the birthday party.  The first food vendor I could find had a big hot pretzel.  I quickly bought it and found a spot to eat when I noticed a woman drop her drink.  She fainted while sitting down against a wall.  Her boyfriend yelled out, "Someone call 911!"  It was terrifying.  Lucky she came too right away and didn't know what had happened to her.  It scared a lot of people around us, but it also reminded us how not to take the heat unlikely.  Once my friends arrived I had to go.  Go figure.  I took the time to talk to them for a bit before I saw how late it was getting.  I couldn't stay any longer.
I cabbed it to Mc Cormick Place and found my friends.  This was a massive event.  Over 60 different djs/ singers on 6 stages.  It had started from 12pm and was going to end at midnight!  I'm glad I arrived late because I was worn out with the heat already.  Me and my friends danced the rest of the night non stop!  Chicago's history with house music stems back to the late 70s.  In the early 1980s, Chicago radio jocks The Hot Mix 5, and club DJs Ron Hardy and Frankie Knuckles played various styles of dance music, including older disco records.  I've always loved dance music growing up so it was refreshing to be around a crowd that appreciated this influential sound.  It brought back so many memories for me and my friends.  

Me and the birthday girl!  She's a Gemini too...

Julian Jumpin Perez of B96

Imagine my horror the next day when I woke up to the news of the Orlando shootings of Pulse nightclub.  These people were doing the same thing as me and my friends the night before, just enjoying themselves.  I cannot understand the darkness that surrounds a person like this.  My heart breaks for so many senseless terrorism acts surrounding our daily lives.  It's not a world I recognize anymore.  Peace within each other; as well as other nations should be enforced constantly.  We have only one planet to care for.  We need to take care of everyone in it.