Over It

Though most of my personal goals have been undeniably wedding-centric as of late, I thought it might be a good idea to balance them out with some stress-free, non-nuptial activities that I can enjoy while I desperately wait for it to warm up outside. Sure the Lake looks amazing in this weather, but other than that, I’m kinda done with the winter.  Some things to tide me over until Spring rolls in:

1. Attend the Martha Stewarts Wedding Party at the Ritz Carlton (okay, this is so fun I don’t think it counts as a wedding activity)
2. Submit my garden plot renewal contract and start planning this year’s crops
3. Spend a long evening on the couch watching all things Oscars-related, including the always-awkward E! red carpet pre-game
4. Spend even more time on the couch, finishing up the second season of House of Cards
5. Finish reading The Son and start in on Night Film
6. Send in my tax returns early!
7. Keep up with the morning "Booty Calls," courtesy of my new favorite trainers
8. Raise a spoonful of jambalaya in honor of Fat Tuesday
9. Escape to the American Club for a belated birthday celebration
10. Celebrate the second birthday of sandcastle!

Changing Clocks

I thought the “fall back” in time that we recently experienced would make getting out of bed a little easier. Instead, it’s resulted in pitch black driving conditions on the way home from work at night. Though I always get anxious at this time of year thinking about the long march ahead into the dead of winter, I do have a few things in store this month to keep my spirits high:

1. Spend a long weekend hosting friends from college and finding every excuse to do girly activities like a trampoline exercise class
2. Hit the strip in Andersonville and check out some bars and a restaurant that I’ve never before visited
3. Wear my new black leather booties to death
4. Check out the Wonders of the 1893 World Fair exhibit at the Field Museum
5. Continue my heavy use of the crock pot and try a few new recipes
6. Attend a local art and wine festival event with the tickets that I recently scored from a friend
7. Clean out my closet and get my massive sweater pile into the drycleaners
8. Head to Cincinnati to celebrate Thanksgiving with family and eat lots of turkey, cranberries and stuffing
9. Start to seek out the perfect item to add to my ever-growing holiday decoration collection
10. Begin planning my next warm weather vacation…

Greener Pastures

The amazing view in Lake County during a recent road trip

The first week of one of the most gorgeous Midwestern months is already behind us, and I’m left scrambling to accomplish some of my favorite fall activities before the weather turns and we (with great resistance) plunge into the depths of winter. A few of the things that I’m looking forward to this October…

• Packing my new Phillip Lim x Target luggage and heading to a cabin on Lake Okauchee to boat, fish and play board games with my family
• Digging out my multi-colored crocks and Cream of Chicken and Wild Rice Soup recipe and filling my condo with the fragrance of fall
• Carving these ghoulish mini pumpkins
• Eating gooey, toppings-covered caramel apples
• Kicking around colorful leaves while trying out a new hiking trail with my hiking pal, Flossy
• Making s’mores over a campfire
• Paying a visit to Madison for one of their last Farmers’ Markets of the year
• Hitting up a haunted corn maze in the middle of nowhere
• Lighting tons of candles and watching a scary movie
• Finding ways to incorporate my scarf collection into my wardrobe as the weather cools down

Ship to Shore

The first few months of summer have been filled with many fond memories, and I’m thrilled to know that most have been captured here. As August rolls in, I’m eagerly looking forward to making more, including:

1. Continuing to watch the never-ending Olympics coverage (especially if it involves women's gymnastics or men's swimming)
2. Opening up this cookbook and picking a pie to bake at random
3. Wearing my new Saint-James Tee at every available opportunity
4. Renting a paddleboard to try out on Lake Michigan
5. Sneaking around to put the finishing touches on a secret birthday gift for my significant other (in a condo the size of ours, this is harder than you can imagine)
6. Spending a weekend morning, flagon of ale in hand, at the Renaissance Faire (perhaps you recall that I love all things 16th century England, easily my geekiest of traits)
7. Finding a new signature fragrance among sample scents from here, here and here
8. Keeping a yearly tradition alive and spending a few quiet days at a remote cabin in Northern Wisconsin
9. Organizing the errant magazine tear sheets littering my desk
10. Heading home to Cincinnati to visit with family and attend a wedding

Anything I should add to the list?

Rays of Sunshine

Image

I couldn’t resist buying these brilliantly blinding yellow accessories, as this relaxed clutch and chunky crystal necklace are just what my wardrobe needs to transition into sunny July. Here are a few other things that are sure to make me incredibly happy this month:

• Harvesting basketfuls of herbs and vegetables from my garden plot and getting creative with dinner
• Finally getting around to packing my bulky sweaters away for a few months
• Taking a morning daytrip to the Chicago Botanic Garden
• Browsing mid-summer sales
• Spending a hot date night watching Savages in a cold movie theater
• Making my own ice cream
• Attending a surprise birthday pool party
• Turning a long weekend with visiting family into a fun-filled stay-cation
• Grilling cheeseburgers and corn on the cob
• Relaxing on the beach, reading piles of books and magazines for hours on end, and just generally being unproductive

What exciting things do you have planned for July?