gwendolyn faith is not a crayon.
I work in advertising. I play in the kitchen.
I’m part tweenager. (Look at my iTunes playlist.)
I’m part Grandma. (Look at my oversize cardi collection.)
I’m part Romy or Michelle. (Look at the height of my hair.)
I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy. C.S. Lewis hit the nail on the head, y'all.
I wish my life were a musical, but other than that, I’m pretty content.
(No surprise I also like to Yelp.)
Ida had a rough day, realizing the passage of time can be relentless and unforgiving and all. Her day was probably even rougher than mine.
I think Ida needed to spend an hour or two at the Art Institute to pull herself out of her funk. Art always helps, at least a little bit.
{ Into the World There Came a Soul Called Ida by Ivan Albright, 1929-30 }
Yesterday instead of reporting to the office, my team celebrated the end of planning season, during which we develop our clients’ media plans for the upcoming year.
That’s right. I’m talking about my team’s annual Post-Planning Party!
Vendors sponsored events at spots across the city, making for one of the most fun Fridays in recent memory. (Thanks, everyone!)
We started at Rockit, where Google sponsored a breakfast buffet and office awards show.
We then headed to Paris Club for hors d’oeuvres and blackjack with the Facebook sales crew. I might’ve won $50 with my fabulous newfound blackjack skillz in a raffle.
Afterward we set sail on the Mystic Blue, basically turning the entire boat into a dance floor. (I’m sorry, but I can’t not dance my heart out when Robyn’s playing.)
We finished the day at the House of Blues, where Pandora sponsored live-band karaoke. Live-band karaoke is my life, y’all.
And as much as I like risk-free blackjack, spontaneous dance parties and live-band karaoke, I adore my co-workers even more. I loved celebrating their success coming out of planning season!
Happy Patio Season, y’all! Chicago’s springtime temperature caught up to the rest of the country’s over the weekend. To celebrate, I met Rebba, Sara Jane and Christian for tacos and margs on the Big Star patio after my early-morning kettlebell class and dentist appointment. Finally!
{Another Birthday Post} My sweet friends spoiled me at my birthday celebration last night, y’all.
I loved spending an entire evening with some of my favorite friends from all across Chicago, many of whom were meeting one another for the first time. Rebba, Sara Jane, Katie and Michelle, who are in my small group at church. Dipika, Lexi, Libbi and Julia, who I know from Mizzou. Kylie, my work bestie. And Denise, a friend from high school who’s now completing a rotation at the children’s hospital here. (I’m a liiiittle upset I didn’t get a full group photo or even individual shots of everyone.)
We started at Belly Shack, a Logan Square BYOB where Korean cuisine meets Puerto Rican flavors. (I’d initially hoped to try Yusho, an Avondale spot known for its Japanese street food, but we couldn’t get in without a massive wait. It’s still on my list of restaurants to try!)
I go nuts over Belly Shack’s Asian Pork Meatball Sandwich with somen noodles, Korean chili paste, and shredded mint leaves all stuffed inside a soft pita-esque pocket; I also got to sample their chorizo-studded Brussels sprouts and chocolate-banana frozen yogurt—and of course, my girlfriends came armed with wine and champagne.
Afterward we headed to Piece, a Bucktown pizza joint that features live-band karaoke on Saturday nights. Live-band karaoke essentially represents all my favorite things. Singing, dancing, friends, all rolled into one.
Thanks again for making my birthday special, girls! I hope I can return the favor over the coming year.
{ A Birthday Post } My friends made my official birthday feel oh-so-special, even though I’m not technically celebrating ‘til next weekend. Today after church, Rebba and Dipika took me to Del Seoul for Korean tacos and to Molly’s for cupcakes, and I’ve gotten a barrage of cards, calls and texts from my family and friends across the country. Thanks, everyone!
Of course we co-workers had to represent at Kylie’s engagement party. Best wishes to Kylie and Cam!
@ Matilda & Baby Atlas
Maybe don’t Google “turtle racing.” The Wikipedia description—participants place turtles in the center of a circle and watch them walk around until one of them crosses out of the circle—makes the sport event sound a lot less fun than it actually is.
Best Frand Megan, who gets free flights through her job at an airlines, flew into Chicago at the last minute for a little over 24 hours. Together with our friend Mark, we devoured too much never enough Mexican at Mixteco Grill, watched the turtle races at Big Joe’s, and met again in the morning for brunch at Crosby’s Kitchen.
As always, though, the best part of her visit was talking. Talking and talking and talking. Come back anytime, Meg!
When Lauren decided to come to Chicago for spring break, I immediately suggested we take an Indian cooking class. I had noticed Ranjana’s Indian Cooking Class a few months ago when I was reading through Yelp reviews and kept the idea in the back of my mind. As I write, all but one of the reviews for Ranjana’s classes are five-star reviews—and now that I’ve taken a class, I will definitely keep the streak alive!
I’ve made Indian dishes before, recipes in hand, but I’ve never understood the method behind the madness. (That’s true for most of the cooking I do, actually.) Ranjana shared the building blocks of Indian cooking. Each dish should contain something salty, something tart, and some kind of chili; for the most part, cooks can mix and match one ingredient from each of the three categories depending on what’s on hand. The spice mixture can set one dish apart from another.
Furthermore, Ranjana’s class was plain fun. Ranjana was full of stories about her childhood and the early years of her marriage, and she also shared anecdotes about the origins of popular Indian dishes. (Did you know “chutney” is derived from a Sanskrit word that implies “finger-lickin’ good”?)
By the end of the class, we’d learned to make ten Indian dishes, including a fried eggplant dish I can’t stop thinking about. And an easy okra side I can’t stop thinking about. And a homemade paneer masala mixture I can’t stop thinking about.
TL;DR: Take Ranjana’s Indian Cooking Class, and stay tuned for more Indian cooking posts in the next few months!
