ALI TURNS TWENTY FIVE, FINALLY!

I've been trying to turn Ali 25 for 3 years now.
[this entry is post dated.... ]
I don't know why it always seemed fitting to wish her a Happy 25th, on her 22nd, 23rd and 24th, but this year I can say it legitimately. Twenty-five for the win!

The birthday weekend started yesterday, when Damanji and I arrived in from the STL & Cinci Metros, respectively. Today was the real start of our Chicagoland weekend to celebrate one of our best friends.

1 | BREAKFAST! 
.: Eggs. We went to Eggs. No, seriously, the place is called [just] Eggs. It sounds like a broken sentence, but that's the name and that's the place and it was fun. I don't, however, recommend that you order the Georgia Peach Crepe, unless you like the combination of sourdough, cottage cheese and canned peaches... warm... together. Otherwise, it was definitely a fresh little vibe and I'd go back and try something else on the rather extensive menu.

metiiiculously unfolding the carry out bag
#militarybagfolding ;) 

2| NAPERVILLE
.: Ali's job as a live-in nanny has her living here, so she's become acquainted with several of the local shopping spots, etc. etc.

on our way! 

The highlights of this outing include but are most definitely not limited to:
DAVIDsTEA. Who do I talk to about getting one - or more - of these in Cincinnati, like.. yesterday?! Sorry, but.. Teavana, who? Cincinnati, you need a DAVIDsTEA, and that is that.

davids tea | naperville, il
so. much. yesssss. 

yesssssss! 

We hit the NVille outlets, as well; the birthday girl was loaded down with giftcards to use, and the plunder was bountiful: Sephora, Kate Spade and Pac Sun on the top hit list. We even managed to spot an interesting story parked in the lot outside: 

shark attack?

3 | NANNY LIFE
.: We stopped at Ali's "house" after our downtown Naperville tour, where she lives as a nanny. It should come as no surprise that it's practically a castle in a neighborhood of other castles, that has heated floors, awesome decor, a retractable cover and a fluffy dog named Lola:

oh ya know... 

if this was my house, i'd live in this room alone. 

ya'll already know.. where there's a dog, there's cori.
#sheissofluffffyyyyyyy

4 | BUBBLE TEA
.: This makes the list because I haven't had bubble tea since I lived in Illinois, which, if you've been counting, was over 3 years ago. I think the universe was savvy to this fact as I ordered [and paid for] one "taro with lychee," but received a taro and a lychee. Was I mad about this? No. Was I probably over-hydrated? Yes.

twofer.. and asian for the win! 

5 | CHICAGO! 
.: After our adventures in Naperville, we made our weekend ascent into Chicago, where the city lay waiting for 3 more tourists to take advantage of all is has to offer within a 3-day span. We checked into the hotel, and within half an hour, Ali's friend Lindsay rendezvoused with us to start the city celebration.

'ello, chi!! 

Our first stop: Happy hour at Howells & Hood!

quick stop before dinner! 

calamari.. yes please... 

The meat of the evening was dinner at Bar Siena, where our reservation awaited us. We changed, put on our evening faces and made our way out to an incredible dinner to thank Ali's parents for her existence :).

happy 25th birthday, beautiful friend! 

damanji! 

Things on the menu that we ordered:
Kale & cranberry salad
Roasted peppers
Corn ravioli
BAKED POTATO SOUP + MAC&CHEESE: 

leave me alone i need a moment....... *drool. 

cori. ali. lindsay. shawn.
♥♥♥♥

6 | CHICAGO AFTER HOURS :)
.: Ali only turns 25 once, at least legitimately... so naturally it was off in search of some spirited fun. We're in Chicago, so it wasn't hard. Thanks to Lindsay's guidance, Uber and a stellar tender at HVAC, we made the evening shine in special honor of Ali!

stop #1

stop #2

stop #3, with candid faces.. kinda ♥

A lot more of the pictures I have from tonight are blurry... but I suppose that's bound to happen when standing still is less fun than dancing until your feet want to remove themselves from your body entirely [current mood]. 

Good night, Chicago. You're beautiful. See you tomorrow! 

xo | cmd

"A 6-Die Farkle is a Bad, Bad Day...."

It's almost Friiiiiday! 

Today was a good one. I've been buried up to my eyeballs in work for the past couple weeks, but after a refreshing break to grab dinner with Becky & Mike last night, and after the good news today that we'll be adding a new girl to our staffing team to absorb the other half of what I'm currently doing, well... it's all been a blur, but it just made today really... interesting. In a good way, I think.

I left work per the usual schedule to get Sydni; for over half the trip, I trailed a car that kept asking me the question of the ages [or at least of the past few weeks, seemingly so whenever I look up for a split second..]

i mean........ 

^ It's a valid question, and I know I'm not the only one who feels like I'm asking my own brain this and expecting some third party answer half the time. Like, I busted into Milford today with no idea what my name was after following that guy, who also probably thought I was stalking him after I snapped this picture at the red light. Meh. 

Sydni told me all about her school's Valentine's Day party as we cruised back home, until Nana called and we got to coordinating plans for the clan to come down and visit [aka help us clean the current digs once we pack it up next month and head to the new place!]

It was a short U-turn at home, where we squeezed in homework, a snack, a potty break and costume change from work to street clothes before rushing right back out the door for small group. Tonight was especially hilarious, as we took a 1-week break from our usual studies to indulge in a time of fellowship of games and snacks. I am beyond grateful for this crew, for the fellowship, and above all, for the fact that a game of Farkle has never before been so much daggone FUN! 

farkle! 

I think as I finish this week and head into next week, I'm not going to be able to unhear Jen's exclamation, "A 6-die Farkle is just a Bad, Bad Day!" How a cup, 6 die and a group of awesome people can lighten up an evening and get those happy little endorphins movin' :). 

Yeahhhhh... 

Seriously, this week's been a blur. Last week, too. Tomorrow's Friday, and I'm pretty certain it's going to be the perfect start to a weekend of fun :). We've got a celebratory work dinner planned with Chris & Deb as a reward for winning the quarterly sales contest, followed by the weekend I'll spend in Cleveland with these two [+Q&E!] - 

heading to cleveland on saturday with this lovely fam! 

Happy, happy, HAPPY almost Friday, blogbots! 

xo | cmd

Pamper Time: Subie & Lexi

Okay, okay, okay, let's not pretend like I am the only one out there who's ever taken her car's ability to function despite an exactly-routine oil change for granted. Whether it's surprising or not, I am generally not that bad about preventative maintenance and ensuring repairs are done as needed. Oil changes though? I could do better.

I said all that to say that today's top priority was getting my dear little Subie a well-overdue oil change! Not just that, but she got 2 brand new tires, an alignment and a full internal/external wash & detailing. That girl got pampered today! She wasn't the only one; Lexi got her fair share of attention today, too. It was definitely a day dedicated to the cars we've been blessed to have. 

lexi getting a bath...

It was a beautiful day outside. We're in the last couple days of January, and as we adventured out for a day of local tourism, we couldn't help but laugh at the masses of like-minded folks, clad in tshirts, shorts and even a few sandals were sighted! 

It would've been easy to commit today to a marathon of TV shows, lounging, perhaps packing for this upcoming move, or any number of other things, but it felt good to get out and about, contrary to what I'd originally thought I wanted to do today. Haha. Our city, Cincinnati, was wholly appreciated today, as we journeyed across 275, 52, 50, 28 and 125, and drank in everything from downtown to the east end. We didn't make it north, but the quality time I got to spend with Rob will supercede the fact that we spent the afternoon tucked in the car ;). 

We're home now, after a dinner of hibachi, sushi and edamame. 

Tomorrow is the first official meeting for June's SonRise Panama trip, aka Panama, Part II!!! I am beyond excited for this, and am praying there will be a healthy turnout of folks who are interested and able to join in. From what I've heard, it sounds like this trip may be a bit more mild than last year, with less physically-demanding hikes and seclusion; hopefully that provides a more conducive opportunity for a diverse collection of our church family to join in. 

See you bright & early tomorrow! 

xo | cmd

Sunrises & Subies & Some Food, YAY!

gorgeous! 

Rob sent me that panoramic shot this morning from his work, just as the sun was making its appearance over his shop. It's not the Grand Canyon, but it is a nice solid reminder that even the ordinary doesn't have to be mundane. Not an awful view to start Monday, right?

So, yesterday as we were running errands with Syd, we rode past a dealership that happened to have a used Crosstrek sitting in the front lot. Anyone who's ever had a Subie knows that it is not often that you find a decent used Subie up for sale. People don't really part with Subarus, because well.. Subaru.

They're pretty awesome.
Yes, I'm partial.

love. ♥

For the record, all those things you hear about Subaru owners are probably true.  I believe there to be generally two types of Subie owners: The ones who have Subies to race, add functional and aesthetic modifications, and the ones who use their vehicles as road-tripping, all-terrain vessels of adventure. Whichever camp, we bond together in a weird unspoken way [kinda like Jeep owners do]. We're AWD, so yes, we do love trying to drive through snow, mud and other things that get our cars dirty. We have an affinity for roof racks and will use them. We generally enjoy doing things that include hauling other things that are necessary: canoes, kayaks, snowboards, skis, tents, backpacks, etc. [thus the need usually for a roof rack..]. A lot of us own Chacos, which we wear in and out of our Subies. We have an unwavering faith that our cars will remain reliable and persevere through whatever we ask of them.

I could literally be that "everyday average person" Subaru spokeswoman. Bring it on.
So all of that being said, we stopped yesterday to test drive the Crosstrek we saw in the lot; Kalyn has one now so I was vaguely familiar with them when they came out a year or so back. I liked hers, and am at a point with my Impreza now that it's realistic to weigh out the options of an upgrade... so after our test drive yesterday, Rob did some digging and found another couple to check out at the Subie dealership close by.

If you're not sure what a Crosstrek is:

lol.

^^ Okay, I'll admit that's a hilarious picture of a car.. any car. It looks like Heaven literally just sent that to become some sort of wonder-of-the-world and inhabit the Earth. I don't value my car that much, but I still love them. :)

My fiancé is the best for mapping out these things for me. [[♥Thank You!♥]]

Stay tuned; I didn't commit to any changes today, but it may not be far off ;)

Oh, here's a free plug for The Anderson Pub:

go there. goooo there :)
cincinnati | oh

It's amazing how many places are a hop skip & a jump from me that I've still never visited. We ventured across the street from the Subaru dealership tonight and had our first experience at the newly-reinvented Anderson Pub.. and it was delicious. If you're a quesadilla lover like I am, this is your place!

nailed it.

Their wings are apparently pretty good, too. Ask Rob ;).

Nothing like a good solid Monday to get the week going. Here's to the next four days! ♥

xo | cmd

Art Car. Car Art.

Here's THIS, that captivated me for a good five minutes or so as I craned to see all of the detail work this gal put into her canvas.

And in case that link didn't work for you:

I don't know about you, but that's pretty impressive. Time-consuming, and probably nothing I'd actually want on my own car, but impressive no less.

I think I'll take the evening and draw something on real paper. (:

xo | cmd

Separate Sundays

Rob went to paint his car all day, and I... read this:

done & done!

^^ If you want an intense read, I would recommend this... but only if you're savvy to the English lifestyle and don't misinterpret slang terminology, like I did a few times. Woops ;)

Anyway, as an appetizer to my afternoon spent reading, I absorbed some love and light at SonRise before a quick grocery trip and return home to the couch, a blanket and that book.

I caught glimpses of Rob's progress throughout the day:

in the paintbooth! 

Different variations of the progress kept rolling in, until finally there was the finished product:

little lexi! 

Although I'm not the least bit surprised that Rob did all this work basically by himself [aside from the sanding job; that took professional assistance....from yours truly, of course... ;) haha], I am super excited for and proud of him for getting this done. It was clear that this project was eating at him, so now that it's done, I'm sure little Lexi will be fully welcomed to sit in the driveway. Hah.

Entralled yet?
I know, this is pretty menial stuff to an audience, but I write these e-memoirs more for my own recollection more often than not, so your patience and silent endurance are greatly appreciated ;)

Monday's here again tomorrow, despite my ongoing protest [to whom can I write a letter on this?!].
Time to close out for now. I hope you've had a wonderful weekend, too!

xo | cmd

Three Phase Saturday!

Phase 1: Prep the Lexus for her new paint job.

this guy ♥

doin' my share! 

I had to cut out early and leave Rob to finish the rest of the work himself; I was pushing time to get ready and get myself to the chapel for Lizzy's wedding!

Phase 2: Wedding Bliss! #BlumVollmerVows

elisa & i @ the blum-vollmer wedding!
summit country day school | cincinnati, oh

congraaaaatulations to mr. & mrs. vollmer!!! ♥

Lizzy. was. BEAUTIFUL!! Congratulations, again to her and her new hubby!

From there, it was back home to rendezvous with Rob, clean up again and head right back out the door for the third and final trip of the day.

Phase 3: Becky's Birthday!

happy [early] birthday!!!!!!!!!

For those of ya'll who don't know, but for some reason care to know, Becky was my RA my freshman year at UC. It was friendship at first soccer practice; she was a keeper and I was one of those bouncy midfielders tasked with sprinting up and down the field while she kept an eye on the goal. She introduced me to each of the Cincinnati soccer arenas, and can be blamed, on several grueling occasions, of inviting me to run every. single. stair. [yes, every single stair] in Nippert Stadium. As a sidenote, for those of you who've never been inside a college football stadium, that's a LOT of freaking stairs, and you kind of want to meet some sort of immediate demise like, halfway through, if not sooner.

SOMEHOW, despite our frequent death runs through Nippert, repeated blood drives at Hoxworth and sessions of us either stripping off or washing our soccer shin guards post-game and choking ourselves on the putrid smell, we stayed friends, and grew into our post-college days as such.

yep. all around, yep. 

NOW, I can easily say she's been a lifeline to me over the past few years specifically, and I wouldn't trade that for anything. There's not a friend more loyal and respectable than this gal, and I'm proud to call her that. Happy birthday, to a truly incredible friend, coach and mentor. Love you, woman!

my date ♥

^^ That guy [we'll save my tribute rant on him for another day] was my date, and I'm reminded daily, especially at special events like this, that I picked a good one. I am one lucky girl.

Happy painting on little Lexi tomorrow, Rob.
Congratulations, Lizzy V!
And... Happy birthday, Becky!!

And for the rest of my blogbot loves : Happy Saturday! ♥

xo | cmd

New Girl On The Block

Rob, the Craigslist afficionado, has struck again.

I think the rampant string of buy-sell-buy-sell may finally be at a stopping point -- for now.

Meet the newest addition to our family. She is still nameless, although we've received numerous suggestions of an appropriate nickname of Lexi.

welcome to the family, newb!

We're still working on the name.

Whilst Rob was working out the final deal on that little gem, Sydni and I busied ourselves in the grass by a nearby church, where she was ready to show me exactly how well-rounded she is:

We stretched. Playing is now an activity that, according to Sydni, requires extensive preparation. This is called the cross-your-arms stretch. Who knew? 

♥♥♥♥!!

We tumbled.

We laughed. A lot.

happy girl

Since she just started school, I figured I'd give her a pop quiz on something she learned this week: addition.

It's true. This little chicky seems to be too smart to handle sometimes.
And most importantly, we hydrated. ;)

sticker-clad chickadee

Overall, I don't think we can complain. We have a new set of wheels in the driveway, two wagging pittie tails curled up on next to us and a kindergartener who loves life.

We're pretty happy.
Hope you are, too!

xo | cmd