New Year's Eve - courtesy of Alma S. Photography

I took my camera to Alma & Doug's fabulous NYE party, but sadly did not take any photographs.  Thank goodness for Alma! I swiped a couple but you should go HERE to check out the rest. She's got so much talent! *and yes, I realize that I am posting about NYE at the end of January.  I missed a few weeks, so I'm trying to catch up.  Slow news month . . . :)




Love this photo - some of my favorite people in the city! (& not in the city :( )

I like this one - mid-laugh.

Our Christmastime trip to Vienna, Austria - The first morning

The streets look like Christmas.

 We ran across this building as we were wandering around the streets of Vienna.  We were too excited to sleep and very tired of sitting still after many hours of trains, planes and streetcars. 

St. Peter's.  We happened upon this church on our way home from eating dinner and walking around.  The pipe organ was playing and everyone was silent.  It was so peaceful - like something out of a Christmas movie. 

Kohlmarkt was my favorite street.  The lights looked like crystals and went on as far as you could see.  The street was lined with lots of high-end boutiques - perfect for window shopping.  

The front of the Hapsburgs' Palace.  We went as far as the front of it before we realized that we were starving and stopped into Cafe Grienstadl.  Yum. :)

Sausages with mustard, bread and horseradish.  I also had dumplings with onions and cheese.  Delicious. 

We wandered around Maria Theresa Platz and the  Christmas markets in that area.  

This was the location of several great museums and  a ton of rum punch tents :).  We watched curling while we sipped orange punsch (sounds like poooonsch) 

This is the city hall for Vienna - the Rathaus.  It was magical. 

We stumbled upon this Christmas market as we wandered toward our hotel.  It was probably the most authentic Christmas market we saw during the entire trip.  

Thes is the inside of St. Peter's when we stopped to listen to the organ.  Breathtaking. 

One last photo of the beautiful lights before we headed inside for some sleep :)

SURPRISE!!

I already knew that I had a wonderful husband.  No one needs to remind me because I am reminded every single day.  He's a great human being -- just like my daddy.  


However, my husband has truly topped himself this time.  His schedule ebbs and flows a little more than mine -- mine is more steady with fewer breaks.  Somehow he managed to get a week off in December and decided to surprise me with a vacation.  A small confession: it has always been a secret dream of mine to be surprised with a vacation.  Boy did he surprise me. 


Here were the clues: 

• you need a passport
• you will probably need boots
• and a coat
• and it's going to be REALLY cold
• you won't have access to e-mail or your phone

What would your guess have been?  

Here is mine: Canada 

(Alaska, until the whole passport thing)

No offense to the Canadians, eh, but I did not care to go somewhere even colder than Chicago for vacation.  I think this is more practical than bratty.  Regardless, I did not express my reticence to go to Canada until after I found out that we are going to . . . 

Vienna, Austria 

for reals.  I am so excited.  I haven't been to Europe since 2004, when I studied for a summer in London and traveled to Ireland, France and Wales.  Truly, it was an amazing experience.  

However, this is the first time we've been abroad together, so this trip is extra special.  I love traveling with him, so this should be just as fun as some of our other trips to San Juan, PR; Sanibel Island; Hawaii, etc.  

I feel very blessed with such a wonderful husband and best friend and the chance to take a fantastic trip during a time when Vienna is one of the most Christmas-y places in the world.  

More to come regarding his fantastic plans for us -- 3 shows, a couple of castles, some museums and, I'm sure, at least a 1/3 of the 18+ Christmas Markets in and around the city.  

Amateur snow footage from the safety of my apartment -- more to come when I venture out

Clothes for spring :)

Hoot, Where When Tank from Modcloth

You're so Clover Modcloth dress

Dreaming of Blue dress Modcloth  - my personal favorite.  It will probably end up in my closet before too long :)

This suit from Ann Taylor is more fun than more conventional suits.

This jacket/dress combo is kind of amazing.  Courtesy of Lilly Pulitzer.

This is all wishful thinking . . . the weather outside is decidedly not springlike :) 

Snomaggedon, Snomg, Snocaine overdose - call it what you will but it's exciting!

As much as I wish that I lived somewhere like Nashville right now (where the weather is decidedly different) 

Weather for Nashville, TN  - Add to iGoogle

53°F | °C Current: Showers Wind: SW at 9 mph Humidity: 89% Tue 55°F | 29°F Wed 32°F | 22°F Thu 36°F | 27°F Fri 39°F | 33°F

I will be content to simply hide in my house, fireplace blazing, enjoy the unprecedented winds, waves and snow with French press coffee and a pile of work (with a few breaks for Wife Swap, anything on Bravo and LOST dvds.) 


I was out of the office this morning for work-related meetings so I popped back in around 2:00 p.m. -- just long enough to fill a rolly trial briefcase with enough work for three snow days and cram myself onto a Red Line train. 


The mass exodus was kind of fun.  I think that Chicago needed something like this.  We've all been bummed since the Bears so graciously handed Green Bay their spot in the Superbowl.  Everyone loves a state of emergency -- when it doesn't involve anything uncomfortable like power loss, busted pipes, or other inconveniences.   If the only inconvenience is that I can't go to work, by all means, inconvenience me. 

ooooh! I'm in love . . . with a very random assortment of things

It's the little things that make surviving winter so much easier . . .

Like truly preppy accessories found HERE  <3 Kiel James Patrick!

Like amazing Greek yogurt . . .



Non-sticky lotion



broccoli (weird addition, I know)



pears



My new perfume


My favorite drugstore nail polish



my new cheap moisturizer



Bare Minerals makeup -- best makeup I have ever worn



That's probably enough for now.  Focusing on other things I love helps me survive these miserably cold Chicago days! Happy weekend!

Making the transition

It's always tough to make the transition from the holiday season to January/February.  I always like to overplan January and February to make them pass by more quickly. Right now, I have a trip planned for work - NYC/Boston, - a visit from my college roommate, a visit to my dear friends from Indianapolis, and a week of vacation in March.

My husband is great about helping with the transition, too.  We took down our Christmas decorations and redecorated our table in spring colors almost immediately after the holidays.  He loves getting out our new wedding stuff and rotating the decorations in and out -- we received a ton of great decorating items.  It doesn't hurt that we're both in love with our new kitchen table and chairs, either.  We're planning lots of dinner parties for this winter.

We just got a new rug for our living room, as well.  Can't wait for it to arrive! It will definitely brighten up our living room! 

Other ideas for surviving the winter months:

• theme parties (we had a cookie party, post-Thanksgiving-Thanksgiving dinner, etc.) 
• game watches for college basketball 
• weekend trips 
• movie nights
• redecorating 
• indoor projects (scrapbooking, sewing, etc.) 
• working out regularly 

Here's to hoping for an early spring!