Tag Archives: friends

Home Stretch Happy

Posted on July 8, 2010 | 9 Comments

A few weeks ago, I was having trouble.

I don’t want to go into it too deeply, because I don’t know how to articulate exactly what I was feeling. But I can tell you that I was very lonely, on the edge of tears, and just plain stuck. Basically, I needed some courage and I found it. I also really needed to get to this home-stretch stage of my pregnancy.

I feel like I am becoming a better version of myself now. This is good news for me, Justin, and Baby B. As my due date approaches, I feel like I am going to burst. Not only physically, but mentally. I want to burst from the anticipation, love, and a million other new emotions that cannot be contained. My sense of humor is back. I have started to put myself out there, and have been rewarded suddenly and immensely with a lot of love in return. Funny how that works.

I do not fear my upcoming labor. My concerns with pregnancy and birth are upstaged by my curiosities of newborn care and how my new little family will bond together. I am just sooo very pregnant at this point, that I have come to trust it will all work out on its own. I am giving Brain a pregnancy break, and handing it over to Body to take care of. Baby is what’s on my mind.

Is any of this making sense? Are these just the mad ramblings of an end-of-pregnancy-mama-to-be? Has anyone else felt this way?

Anyway, thank you all for being there for me. Whether you are with me in person or online. It has made more of a difference in my life than I can tell you. I am happy to report that I am hitting the “post” button with a grin on my face instead of the tears that accompanied that button a short month ago.

I leave you with my hugenormous belly picture that my new friend Beth took last weekend.

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Posted in pregnancy

Tagged 38 weeks, belly pic, friends, home stretch, pregnancy

Let Them Eat Cake

Posted on January 25, 2010 | 4 Comments

I have so much I want to write about that I am going to have to just start posting more. I can’t beat myself up every time I don’t have photos to go with the post.

I hope you don’t beat me up either. Think of the unborn baby.

But look here! I do actually have some photos today.

We had a slumber party on Sunday. Minus the slumber. The girls hung out during the day, watched bad movies/TV, ate cake, ate cake, ate cake, painted nails, read magazines. Really girly slumber-party-ish activities were had by all. We celebrated Amber’s birthday and we all watched her blow out the candles in our pajamas. This is the only time you will ever see her in a Piston’s sweatshirt. Guaranteed.

I don’t have many pictures of the lovely attendees, because it is a pajama party. And honestly, the cakes are way prettier than our sweatpants and headbands. At least in my case. My latest fashion, while walking around the house, is a pair of faded yoga pants covered in cat hair with the elastic cut out of the front of them to accomodate my belly. I am looking SO good in those. Nope.

Speaking of growing bellies, I have wanted to start a maternity photo series, but I haven’t figured out how to do it yet. The pie in the sky photos would be something as great as the two series here and here from Pacing the Panic room. Nothing else I have found is very inspiring or original. My goal is to have something whipped up in the next couple weeks before I start to get really huge. Wish me luck!

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Posted in Daily Picture, pregnancy

Tagged birthday, cake, Daily Picture, friends, maternity series, pregnancy, sleepover

Tutorial on Wine Box Stabbing

Posted on September 23, 2009 | 3 Comments

The last time I went tent camping was on the beach in Mexico in the middle of July about six years ago. Our supplies included a truck, a flatbed trailer, two matches and a white bathing suit. It was my first trip with Justin and his sister, Jenny. Lots of fun, but MAN ALIVE, we were so ill prepared. I am now wiser, and know how to prevent mornings like the infamous wake-up-in-120-degree-tent-no-shade-dirty-thirsty-hateful-crawl-from-tent-into-only-shade-under-trailer-morning.

Although the beginning of that day may go down in my personal history as the most unpleasant outdoor experience ever, the shower following the trip was nothing short of heaven. My poor white bathing suit went directly into the garbage, and I was the proud new owner of not a tan line, but a DIRT line. Yep.

Last weekend, we decided to brave tent camping once again. This time, we brought hummus and an airbed. Not a fan of hummus? Try the gourmet salsa or spicy black bean dip. The breakfast burritos are amazing, and the chili hits the spot. We had a large cooler for every 1.5 people. There was bug spray, blankets, tablecloths, and ample firewood. We had chairs, games, drinks, and my favorite: WATER.

The best necessity that came along on the trip was probably Amber’s cowboy boots:

How cute is the Amber-sized tent? This picture was taken at the first campsite, pre-kick out.

So yes, we had two campsites. The first was at a really nice private campground outside of the Indiana Dunes State Park. Just as everyone had arrived, and air-beds had been inflated, the park ranger shows up. When does this ever happen? We were not a bunch of high school kids in the woods with a keg. Some of us hadn’t even opened a beer yet!! Yes, there have been many times when park rangers probably should have shown up—about ten years ago wherever Justin and his friends were at during the months of June–August.

But COME ON. We brought hummus. AND BREAKFAST BURRITOS. The average age was 28, not 18. And a family dog was on site. We are not troublemakers here. Just look at this face:

Hummus.

Burritos. At Breakfast. LOOK OUT.

So when the rangers showed up, they lectured us like a bunch of teenagers for having alcohol at a campsite. Then they forced us to dump it all in the woods. THEN, the ranger holds up a box of wine, and STABS IT with a KNIFE, and 20 bucks of perfectly good Black Box waters the Indiana Woods. Brilliant.

Blechk. afjdslfkalfkja.

Camping got a whole lot better in the morning when we packed up and relocated to a place where we were allowed to have beer with our beanbag and euchre. How daring of us.

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Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged campfire, camping, Daily Picture, friends, indiana dunes, mackey, photography

Squids May Overtake Owls

Posted on September 18, 2009 | 1 Comment

A few years ago the plagues started.

Not plagues of locusts, but sparrows. EVERYWHERE you looked was trendy sparrow jewelry and tattoos and t-shirts and what-not. The trend was hot, until it got too mainstream, now a sparrow necklace is considered lame and dated.

Then the woodland creatures rose up shortly after. Deer were kings. If the deer were screen printed as a silhouette, even better. LOTS of deer everywhere, and the occasional squirrel or two.

Then the wise owl swooped in to take over your pillows, jewelry, and kitschy curtains. The owl is one of the most pervasive of the trendy animal plagues. EVERYONE was doing it. It is still happening today. Cause let’s all admit, there is something very intriguing about those little guys. The Renegade Craft Fair even uses them in their logo:

The Renegade huge this year, and I had the pleasure of browsing the millions of booths with these fine ladies:

Journey's "Open Arms" comes to mind.

Encore! I just love these ladies. I like how all Andrea's gestures remind me of an old italian grandpa. Get this woman a cigar.

So, back to the plagues of trendy animals. As I was saying, the owl trend is still going strong, but the really cutting edge crafters have abandoned it. The next hot thing?

Squids.

Octopus as well perhaps, but they had a brief moment in the spotlight in ’08, and didn’t overtake the owls. There are still a few around, but squids seem to be the new hotness.

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Posted in Daily Picture

Tagged Daily Picture, friends, octopus, owls, photography, renegade, sparrows, squid crafting trend, trendy animals

Good Combinations

Posted on August 10, 2009 | 4 Comments

Some things just go well together. Wine and sun. Friends and a table for four. Tough questions and thoughtful advice. Green beans and tempura. Cheese and anything. Peaches and tomatoes. New beginnings and old alliances. This week I am thankful for my friends. I love them more than cheese. And that is all I have to say for today.

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Posted in Daily Picture, Uncategorized

Tagged basil, bin cafe, cheese, Daily Picture, friends, love, peaches, photography, tomatoes, wine

Currants and Miss Lippy’s Lunch Hour

Posted on July 10, 2009 | 1 Comment

Currants.

They look better than they taste.

The farmer’s market at lunch is always fun. Generally, I wander around alone, but I had company yesterday, which is always nice. Generally, people find excuses not to leave the building at lunch. This is weird to me.

People need to take more lunch breaks. Eating at your desk is not good. Not good for you or the project you are working on. Especially if you are a designer, you need to step away and come back with fresh eyes. Even if you pack a lunch…get out. GET OUT! Seriously. Get. Out.

If I ever own a business, I will kick everyone out and then lock the doors for an hour starting at noon. Even in the rain and snow. Do you remember the scene from Billy Madison where Miss Lippy sends the kids out for dodge ball hour so she can be alone…with craft paste and interpretive dance to sitar music? That is about right. Later in the afternoon, after nap time, we will have cupcakes. Who’s with me?

This post was supposed to be about all the friends in my life that are on a path to greatness…but that didn’t really happen. I will try harder next time.

I am off to Mary Poppins on Broadway in Chicago! Woot!

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Posted in Daily Picture

Tagged currants, Daily Picture, farmer's market, friends, lunch, miss lippy

Flowers Grow Well in Garbage

Posted on April 4, 2009 | 4 Comments

Kind of. By garbage I mean compost, animal crap, and fertilizer, to be more accurate. It is important for me to remember the idea that good can sprout from filth. Last week, a series of things happened that really got me down. I ended the week with two pieces of cake followed by a test of my new mascara’s cry-proof capabilities. This is very uncharacteristic of me. Megafail.

The “bad things” didn’t happen to me directly; they happened to people that I care about very much. I will not list them all here because it will bum you out in a major way. I am not an overly-sensitive person, but I do feel a lot of empathy for what happens to people I know.

One “bad thing” that I do feel the need to address is that 1/3 of my former agency was laid-off last week. This was not a large agency where this kind of thing happens all the time. Though the company had some less than savory characteristics, loyalty was one of it’s greatest virtues…I thought. I feel like a stupid girl that just found out her boyfriend has been cheating on her. I haven’t worked there in a year, but I still feel betrayed. I am sad about how it went down. I am disappointed. I am stressed for my friends who need work in a terrible economy. I know it is “just business” but is still smells bad to me.

WAIT! Don’t be too sad. Don’t go yet. Here comes the “flowers” part. My friends that were laid-off are very talented people. They deserve to work in a better place anyway. In the long run this whole thing will be a blessing to them, even if it is rough right now. A few of them have the capability to lead their own shop. I hope they do that. I hope they are wildly successful and 100x more happy than they were in their former job.

If I were to be laid off, I would take a long look at what I truly wanted to do–what really makes me happy. I would start down that path, even if odd jobs in the meantime were necessary to stay afloat. Would I apply to agency positions that originally seemed out of reach? Would I go to school again? Start a business? Work at the zoo? It’s hard to say, but if I was kicked out of my current comfort zone, I would be self-evaluating like never before.

The news will get better. The economy will recover. My friends will flourish again. Life goes on.

Speaking of flowers, the Macy’s flower show starts this weekend. On Friday, when I was feeling low, I was pleasantly surprised at lunch to see that the flamingo bodies have been re-united with proper heads:

Yay!

Half of the first floor is now a living garden. The displays and cosmetic counters are stunning. The aisles now have a median of trees and flower beds down the center. My marketing side is dying to know how much this flower show effects Macy’s sales next week. I think it is BRILLIANT. (I still miss Marshall Fields by the way.)

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Posted in Daily Picture, Uncategorized

Tagged career, Daily Picture, empathy, flamingos, flowers, friends, layoffs, macy's flower show

Slumladies “Meelllllin-air”

Posted on February 26, 2009 | 4 Comments

I got to spend last night with some of my favorite OLAYadies (+ Andrea). Dinner was at the Grand Lux (megatouristy, but megagood none the less). You have to order the Asian nachos to share as an appetizer. If you are with Amber, make sure she has a plate of her own and stay at a safe distance. I am also guilty of this shameless nacho behavior on occasion. The portions are outrageously enormous, just like most all of the other downtown touristy restaurants. You should share the full orders with someone at your table or get appetizers as we did, unless you want to haul 5 lbs of take-home food with you around the city afterward.

Also, don’t forget your ID if you want to even think about having a glass of wine or a cocktail at the Lux. They are insane about carding. No matter what your age. Marjorie thought the waitress was kidding when she was asked to show hers. Pam was asked, too. But they both work on a skincare account and have good genes, so I am actually not shocked they were carded. I ‘ve also been there with my former boss, Anne, when she was refused a glass of wine because she didn’t have her ID. She’s 28 for heaven’s sake.

: The wonder in her expression kills me. It’s a great food face.

: Pam and Andrea’s coveted Ahi plate.

: And then Andrea was abducted. Right from the movie theater lobby. She’s cool with it.

After dinner, Andrea, Casey and I walked around the corner to the movie theater at 600 N Michigan. It is really weird in there. Just strangely designed. We did make it safely into our seats after 1 Photoshop disaster, an alien abduction, and a movie-sized package of peanut M&M’s.

We were all a little behind the times and hadn’t seen the big Oscar winner, Slumdog Millionaire. I have to say that I really enjoyed it, and was very impressed by the way it was shot. I LOVED hearing the line “who wants to be a Meelllllin-air!!?” over and over. I couldn’t watch a couple of the scenes involving the beggar children. It was tough to take. I think that Benjamin Button was a better movie, but the two are so different that they are difficult to compare. Slumdog does have a fantastic soundtrack though. Jai Ho!! (Tally ho if you are Casey.)

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Posted in Daily Picture

Tagged ahi tuna, asian nachos, Chicago, dining, friends, grand lux, movie night, photography, slumdog millionaire

Friends Who Brave the Cold

Posted on January 25, 2009 | Leave a comment

Daily Picture 012409

Last night–and very early morning– some friends and I celebrated Amber’s Birthday. 9 degrees didn’t stop us from BYOB dinner and then dive bar dancing. Embarrassingly, my muscles are sore from dancing. This means two things. I am out of shape and I don’t get out much this time of year.

One of the topics at dinner was of course the winter blahs. Everyone has been suffering through a particularly harsh winter. The good news is that we are all caught up on LOST, The Wire, or the guilty pleasure of the Twilight books. But this gets old.

We are turning the corner it seems. Just in the last week, as the light is lingering until almost 5 pm (GASP), we have decided to fight back. Haircuts, new clothes, the gym, and plans outside of the couch have been made. We still may have a solid 4 months until a spring day, but we are somehow simultaneously tired of being dominated by the cold, and are willing to bite back. We really are just animals that are very effected by the seasons. Only hibernation is sadly frowned upon.

I lived in Florida for four years before moving to Chicago. You could wake up in October and think it is May, cause there is really not much difference. There are advantages to a season-less climate, although it feels a bit like cheating. The cycle of the year is not a really cycle at all without seasons.

When spring does arrive in Chicago, the sense of community is stronger than any other time of the year. Much like a city that has been hit by disaster, has fought through together, and emerged stronger and more united. Almost. But the idea is that everyone is giddy city-wide. Like we are congratulating ourselves and our neighbors on making it through. Nothing stops Chicagoans from enjoying the warm months with an ecstatic frenzy. Like those puppies that will gorge themselves to death if you keep unlimited food out. I would like to vote to change New Years day to May 1st. It is much more fitting.

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Posted in Chicago, Daily Picture

Tagged birthdays, byob, Chicago, dancing, dinner, friends, winter