Happening Lately.

Happening Lately.

We knew the month of May would be a little crazy. But it usually is for everyone - travel, graduations, birthdays, it always seems like the busiest month of the year. This May is no exception.

We have just gotten back in town after a week-long "work trip" at the beach. Actually, Stevie really did work the entire time, but I got to explore a new locale with Everett and we had such a sweet time together. Everything was slower-paced, both because I had a baby in tow and because the pace of life at St. Simons Island is slooooow. And it was just the absolute best. It gave me permission to relax a bit and get used to having a baby completely on my own in a tiny crowded hotel space - and we made it! More than made it, we totally loved it. More about this lovely trip next week though. I have great pictures and some of my favorite discoveries to share :)

Shopping + Swings Date.

A baby of 9 months is a baby of FUN. I can't believe how full-circle things have become with my little son. In the beginning, the days were long and tiresome. Oh wait. That hasn't changed. But our sleep patterns have improved and I am adoring this season that we are in together. He is a bundle of fun, curious about the world and discovering new things all the time. He has a great compass for humor and he legitimately has me cracking up laughing 10 times a day. I can't imagine what toddler-hood is like, because he is already crawling everywhere and getting into trash cans, eating my shoes, dissembling my purse, the works. But his newest and most favorite discovery is the park swing -  HE LOVES SWINGING. It's a delight! We have started going to the swings everyday, even if its only for 15 minutes. The other fun thing we did this week was shop - he accompanied me in my dress-shopping endeavor to find something for a wedding next week - what a patient gentleman he was. I think we picked a good one. All in all, he is just becoming my little buddy who is along the ride for anything. It's been such a blast.

Everett Got a Passport.

So obviously I dressed him up in a bow tie for his photo. I can't wait to see it - we pick up with completed passport this week. Someone's getting ready for his first international flight! Are we nutso or what?!

Snazzy Atlanta Wedding Heyyyooo.

It's wedding season! We've had the privilege of attending quite a few over the past month, and we are headed to another next week! But this last wedding was a particularly special one, because it was in honor of Stevie's cousin, whom we love, and the celebration was like a family reunion. It didn't hurt that we partied on an Atlanta rooftop whilst enjoying the splendid view, delicious food, and dancing the night away. A baby-free night is a good one, especially when there's a bit of bubbly involved.

Travel!

Coming Up: Stevie's Birthday in MADRID, an international Flight WITH A BABY, and a Wedding in Rome! Ah!

I'm seriously not sure if I am ready for all of this, but I guess it doesn't matter... because these things are coming up! We leave next Friday for our 9-day trip abroad... if you think about it, pray we have an easy time traveling with our baby! I am compiling gear, packing and repacking, making lists, etc. and hoping that it will all come together seamlessly. I won't be blogging along the way, like I did on our last Eurotrip, because I know I will have my hands a lot fuller this time, figuratively and literally! I really want to soak in the experience and focus on my family. So I have some posts pre-written and ready to go during the time that we will be gone. If you'd like to follow along the Euro experience, I will probably be over-posting on my Instagram, and obviously I will do lots of follow-up posts about our travel once we return. I am a bit of a travel glutton... so there will be lots of sharing!

Happy Mothering.

It's Mother's Day this weekend! My first ever! I have no idea what's in store, but I imagine that I will actually get to sleep in... maybe? That would really be something. If you haven't gotten your mama something yet, I put together a little guide a few weeks back. Hopefully it's helpful? Otherwise, enjoy your weekend, all you incredibly hardworking moms!

Windy Weekend in Chicago

"Boys, Chicac-y is the biggest noise in Illinois.'' - Doris Day as Calamity in Calamity Jane

The Windy City.

What a town. You've got to cue this jam while you read, because, well, this has been my childhood impression of Chicago. Warren and Meredith are some of our best friends from Boston, and just two weekends ago they got hitched in the grand Chicago History Museum. Stevie and I both had the privilege of being a part of the ceremony, which means we got an up-close view of their loving "I-do's." Not only was witnessing their commitment to one another completely poignant and beautiful, we had the best time exploring (and munching) our way through this spectacular (and truly windy!) city. Cheers to our new favorite couple!

// Millennium Park //

// Cloud Gate at Millennium Park, AKA "the bean" //

Map.

Our friends spoiled us rotten and set us up to stay in one of the poshest areas of town. We lived it up in an Air B&B, just south of Lincoln Park and just around the corner from Michigan Avenue. Sooo legit. We jogged around the downtown fancy stores (I went into Topshop, first time ever!), ran along the water front, and through Lincoln Park. It was really windy (why was I surprised?) so the jogging/sightseeing combo was actually a really practical way to see a lot of sights and stay toasty while doing so. We did take a cab over to Millennium Park to see the Bean (aka the Cloud Gate), met our dear friends Andrew and Sarah for lunch and walked along the Chicago Waterfront as the wind whipped around our joyous selves. The fall foliage must have been at its peak for the weekend, because wow; the colors were fiercely outrageous.

// Yes, there were really horse-drawn carriages riding around this completely non-touristy area. Chicago is just that quaint. //

Mmm.

This weekend, we consumed a LOT of Chicago-style pizza. Which isn't really the healthiest option in the world, but in moderation, it's a real treat. If you are interested in tasting all the grandest pizzas in the world like me, then this is just another one to add to the ever-growing list of awesome pizza pies. It's the kind of deep dish that you eat three bites of and you're completely full. It's about 1.5 inches thick (yes, you read that right), richly packed with cheese, sausage and tomato goodness. And the crust! It's buttery and flaky and just wondrous. (Don't start thinking about the calories, I told myself. Hence, the mad amount of jogging.) We ate at Lou Malnati's more than once over the weekend, and I felt like I reached my life quota. Many thanks, Lou.

// Look at that waterfront path! Pretty priceless. //

//  Lake Michigan. You can sigh. //

// Left: The Willis Tower, formerly known as the Sears, Right: The famed Drake Hotel //

// We played and ate all weekend. This was one grand affair. //

Moment.

Strolling along the waterfront of Lake Michigan, hand in hand with my babe, I had a (mini) revelation moment. I have LOVED living in New York for the past 3 months, but there has been a teensy, tiny part of me that has been really nostalgic for Boston in the fall. My time living in Cambridge for two years was tumultuous, terrific, terrifying, but most of all, so treasured. Those cozy winters of hibernating inside... mmm there's nothing like it. But still, I have been really missing the gorgeous foliage along the Charles River that I used to see everyday. However, spending the weekend in Chicago has made me appreciate the sweet memories of Cambridge. And now! Well, here I am, exploring vibrant cities and discovering places where new memories will be created. It's a pretty sweet time in life. And perhaps a bit windy, but nothing that won't blow over.

Sunday Gratitude (for naps)

// 1. My Sound Career has arrived. As has the fear. // 2. This pigeon escort me to the park. // 3. Bowl of morning joy. // 4. Enjoyed Korean treats at a Parisian bakery. Yes, you read that right. // 5. Family wedding in Chicago. // 6. Reverent, whisical church windows.

Happy Sunday People.

I honestly didn't realize it was Sunday until about an hour ago. This week has been BUSY and this weekend we took a whirlwind 20-hour trip to Chicago for a family wedding (congrats, Sean & Nicki!) Hence the disorientation on the day/time. Oh hence. This was a grand day for a nap.

Gratitude.

It was a joy to see some extended family this weekend. I've been living in NYC for a month now (can you believe it?!) and I've largely spent my time alone. Not in a creepy way, but I'm just new in town. I've been attempting to get a lot of things off the ground, work-wise, which often feels like a lonely kind of hustle. I'm thrilled with it, but it's also a strange experience, being in this city brimming with bodies and spending a lot of the day not speaking to anyone. Seeing family this weekend kind of filled in the gaps a bit. Stevie's cousins are so funny and silly and just COMFORTABLE and I love spending time with them. You know when you can just be yourself with some people? Well, it's hard to be anything else with these folks. Hence the adult-sized Christmas onesies, any of you remember?

Now I'm off to babble monologues to myself. Wish me luck in my attempts to memorize. I've got some casting directors to wow (?) this week!