A Small Victory.

I taught Maebe to give a "high five" last night.  In spite of a busy upcoming weekend, I'll try capture it on video and post it as proof of this monumental life accomplishment.  

Lobe Love.

Keeping it short today because I'm short on time.

How fabulous are the above earrings from JCrew and the below from Anthropologie?

My lobes are in love.

Neko Case.

Andy and I had the absolute pleasure of seeing Neko Case live in concert at The Chicago Theatre on Friday night.  Her voice is one of a kind and it was such a treat to see her.

Neko Case interview.

Maybe Sparrow - a personal favorite.

High of 80!

Enough said.

This picture was snapped a couple years back at the Chicago Botanic Gardens.  I still LOVE it.

You Just Got SERVED.

Alright, that title is the corniest I've written thus far. Sadly my mind cannot be stopped and when I thought about the word "serve" this phrase is the very first thing that came to my mind.

Teenage phrases that still make you snicker (just slightly because you know they shouldn't)?

Guilty as charged.

Moving on to a more serious matter, the wonderous words of our dear President. Below is an example of why his administration inspires me to be a better human being. The empowerment to change our own future versus waiting for someone else to is simple yet completely understated in our society.

Start your service today.

Here's Looking at You, Mother.

Be mindful of Mother Earth, be aware and do your part to save her.  

Carpool, use public transportation, recyle, bike, walk, purchase less, reuse, don't litter, drink from the tap and most of all, be nice to her and all of humanity.

To get or stay informed, visit TreeHugger.  And for all you fastionistas out there, here is one way to recycle books.  Do not throw them away, pass them on or turn them to purses!

Happy Earth Day 2009!

New FavOrite Site.

Many people, myself included, are enamored with our new First Lady's wardrobe.  I love her fashion sense for many reasons - she is not afraid of wearing bold color, her choices are very feminine compated to her predicesors and she has curves like real women.

When I stumbled on the website below, I immediately bookmarked it and check back often to see what the First Lady has been wearing lately.  

Mrs. Obama's Fashion.

And by the way, I love the way she thinks about the White House kitchen too!  

Mrs. Obama's White House Garden.

World Menu.

Time had a small feature online about world food habits and it was interesting to say the least.  While the American picture below seems accurate, sadly, I'm not so sure about the Poles above.  

Unless my eyes are deceiving me, I do not see pierogi or Polish Kielbasa and frankly, that is just WRONG.  I can see my grandmothers turning over in their graves now.    

Speaking of pierogi, if you love them the way my family does but you are pressed for time, buy this brand.  We had them for Easter Sunday and they were fantastic!

Time feature.

Whatever your dinner tonight, bon appetit!  

Have a Beautiful Weekend

The weather is gorgeous today and we are headed to the park for a picnic,

complete with good books!

Enjoy the weekend!

Sweet Nothings.

Andy: Hey, remember how I spotted our stolen car a couple of weekends ago?

Kim: I sure do!

Andy: I think that makes me a hero.

Kim: Really? A hero?

Andy: You bet it does.

Kim: I beg to differ, I think I'm the hero.

Andy: How do you figure?

Kim: Interesting because it was stolen on my watch that morning therefore without me you could have never found it. I think that makes me the hero.

It's a bird, it's a plane...it's my husband!  Apparently.

Easter Recap.

We had a wonderful Easter holiday with my parents and brother in town.  The weekend included church services, rousing games of Monopoly and Guitar Hero (my mom got hooked which was surprising to all of us!) and the annual Easter Egg competition.

It is fairly obvious who the finalists were and who took away the 2009 "champ" title from the pictures below.  My dad, in true form, promptly called my sister in Cleveland to rub it in...just a little.  

Andy also had the bright idea of using one of the bows from our assortment of chocolates for a decoration on Maebe.  She didn't seem to mind too much.

We may have been a bit too lazy (or focused on Guitar Hero) to dye our eggs this year but they were still delicious!

Unexpected Goosebumps.

Most have heard the phrase "don't judge a book by its cover."  We live in such an image-driven world and if we are honest with ourselves it is some times hard to live by this golden rule.  

Watching the video below on the web literally gave me goosebumps and reinforced the notion that people are not always what they appear to be.  I am so happy for Susan and her voice is just stunning.  

Susan Boyle on "Britain's Got Talent."  

Have a Happy Weekend!

I am signing off for a few days to celebrate the most important holiday of the year with Andy, my parents and brother here in Chicago - Easter. It's not going to feel the same this year because my sister cannot join us but we'll be thinking about her the whole time!

I really do love this holiday and spending three of the four evenings in church is the reason. It allows me to find peace and I use that opportunity to reflect on a very significant event and how it applies to my life.

As for fighting people who never attend church throughout the year for a seat, well, that is the only downside.  Luckily, I can head for home to indulge in chocolate and mend my wounds!

Finally, for those who may not celebrate the Easter holiday, here are some clips that I hope all can appreciate:

Funny Bunny.

Free Gao.

Admittedly, I am not a fan of forwarded e-mail but I recently received one from a friend that grabbed my attention. 

Many years ago, Randy and I befriended one another years ago at the local grocery store, our employer during our high school years.  At a young age, we bonded over groceries, making our customers laugh and similar views of the world, knowing we could make a difference.

I am proud to say that despite what I believe is more than a decade later (can that even be?!), he and I still keep in touch.  

Here is an excerpt from the e-mail Randy sent:

The silence from the highest levels of the Chinese government regarding Gao Zhisheng's kidnapping is deafening. Christian human rights attorney Gao Zhisheng has now been missing 57 days. When one brave reporter asked the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson about Gao, "the official paled and was visibly shaken," according to a Western journalist who was an eyewitness.

Gao Zhisheng was last seen being hauled away from his home in Shaanxi province by more than a dozen police officers on February 4. According to ChinaAid sources, Gao is being severely tortured. Because Gao fearlessly cried out to the free world, revealing the abuses of the Chinese government against house church Christians and others persecuted in China, Chinese authorities want to silence his voice. Now, you can speak out on his behalf.

Gao Zhisheng's wife and children, who have also been abused and tormented by Chinese authorities, escaped to the U.S. three weeks ago. They are grateful for the more than 36,000 who are speaking out by signing the petition and sending e-mails, but more help is needed. Will you partner with us to obtain 100,000 signatures and continue to bombard Chinese government, businesses and media with e-mails calling for Gao's release? Please forward this e-mail to friends and family and encourage them to sign the petition.

Lend your voice to sustain the outcry for Gao Zhisheng's release. Go to www.FreeGao.com to: continue to send e-mails to officials - new e-mails are posted regularly. Make a contribution online. Help us continue to press for Gao's release -- by sustaining this cry for justice.

Please sign this petition, it matters.  

Spring Trench.

I picked up this awesome trench coat from Old Navy for spring and it cost less than $50.00.

Come on spring, I'm ready for your grand entrance...really.  

Any time now would be great, honestly.

Maebe started the weekend out as a shaggy mess and turned into this beauty after her first appointment with the groomer...

I have to admit, our household felt so different without her there for those five hours.  In a short six months, she has turned our household upside down and it is certainly for the better!  Looking good Maebs...

Clogging.

Thursday is my favorite day of the week for no particular reason.  

I love the day so much that I feel like replicating Kenneth's clog dance.

April Fools.

Let me tell you how I love my kid brother.  He's always been a comic genius in my eyes and has kept me laughing through our years together.  Today, he e-mails an article announcing the closure of Great Lakes Brewing Company in Cleveland, Ohio and I was devastated.  

Whether you are from Cleveland or not this little brewery has made it's mark around the country with its beverages and people are very fond of them, including myself and family.  Upon receiving this dreadful news, I immediately did a Goggle search because surely there had to be more to it, how could this happen?

Search yields nothing about a closure, only fantastic reviews about the product which I ALREADY know.  I check a few more search engines - no news.  Check the website and it shows a new promotion that started on March 27th, how could that be?  

(INSERT major thought bubble: It's April Fools Day and my kid brother is a genius yet again!) 

Reply to brother and turns out his co-worker duped him too.  

Well played, brother's co-worker...well played!

Now that I know our hometown brewery is safe, is it too early to start counting down to Christmas Ale 2009?