03.07.2010
Posted on | March 7, 2010 | No Comments
03.06.2010 The Flower Flat
Posted on | March 7, 2010 | No Comments
I had breakfast yesterday at The Flower Flat, which is a charming little place in East Lakeview. I got the waffle, which was very good and came with fresh fruit (pomegranate, banana, gooseberries), but I envied the scrambled eggs that my dining buddy got. Note: the scrambled eggs came with fresh fruit, too. (I really should stop being an asshole and stick to savory breakfast dishes.) That was the main selling point for me with the waffle, in my attempt to go healthy. One negative thing to point out – the bacon doesn’t quite measure up, however, it’s a plus that it wasn’t greasy. Coffee is delicious as ever Intelligenstsia, served in a french press carafe. Handmade jewelry, accessories, and art are for sale throughout the place. Fresh flowers are also sold here, and they were beautiful. I’ll definitely go back, especially since it’s a short walk from The Condo.
P.S. I’m sorry I didn’t take pictures of our actual dishes. I just wasn’t thinking about it at the time.
03.03.2010 Poor Panda
Posted on | March 4, 2010 | 2 Comments
03.02.2010 Happy B-Day Mom, Rolf’s Patisserie
Posted on | March 4, 2010 | No Comments
Juliana, Mom, Jocelyn. 'Lola' is 'grandmother' in Tagalog.
I got Mom’s birthday cake from Rolf’s Patisserie in Lincolnwood. While all the cakes looked delicious, I opted for the Chocolate Hazelnut cake, which we hadn’t tried before. It’s chocolate cake with a hazelnut mousse layer. It was very, very good! To add a healthy component to our dessert, which followed a delicious take-out dinner from Opart Thai House*, I got some fresh strawberries, blueberries, and grapes to accompany the cake.
If you’re in the Lincolnwood area and in the mood for cake or pastries, I recommend Rolf’s. They have some seating if you want to hang out and have some coffee with your treat. All the things I’ve tried from Rolf’s, including cookies, coffee cake, and cannoli, have been very good. They always have a large selection of cakes if you need anything at the last minute.
And now that I’ve written this post, I’m gonna go have some leftover cake. Pardon me while I stuff my face.
*If you ever go to Opart Thai House, get the Moo Ping.
03.01.2010 Monday Bloody Monday
Posted on | March 4, 2010 | No Comments
I wore this sticker proudly for the rest of the day.
I donated blood for the first time on Monday. I don’t know why I’ve been so chicken about it all these years. When I was in high school, I helped organize the blood drive one year and talked it up to a lot of people. I had the easy excuse of not being eligible to donate because I didn’t meet the minimum age requirement then, in later years, of not meeting the minimum weight requirement (my you-look-like-you’re-anorexic days). I always felt that when I was eligible, I’d totally donate. Yeah. Didn’t happen.
Well, I finally sucked it up. I need to thank my friends and family who encouraged me to do it. It was a great experience, and I feel good knowing that I might be able to save a life.
If you are eligible to donate blood, do it! If I can do it, anyone can… unless you have low iron levels or can’t stomach the sight of your blood running through tubes for 10 minutes.
Chicago peeps who are interested in donating, visit http://www.lifesource.org. Do you have a blood donation story? Share it in the comments. Or don’t. Whatever.
The Importance of Being Vulnerable
Posted on | February 23, 2010 | No Comments
When creating something, especially something that may be put on display for anyone to see, we have a tendency to focus on certain aspects of the work and concentrate less on other aspects of it. It always helps to have a fresh pair of eyes inspect our work. Another person may find artistry in a place where we weren’t trying to be artistic. He or she may see potential in a spot that we had given up on. Whether the notes are positive or negative, whether we wanted the work to be reviewed or not, we can’t deny that another person’s opinion is of value and affects us.
We are constantly crafting who we are. As time passes, labels are assigned to us: quiet, outspoken, ditzy, intelligent, athletic, lazy, flighty… these are just some of the words that we use to describe ourselves or other people. Some people let the labels stick. Others do whatever they can to prove that they aren’t whom everyone thinks they are.
Revealing who we are can be painful and embarrassing. It requires trust in ourselves and the other person. The goal isn’t necessarily to learn something new about ourselves. We mostly need others to remind us who we are.
It takes as much courage to accept that we are good as it does to acknowledge our flaws.
My eyes have recently been opened by a true friend. As a result, I feel more comfortable in my own skin than I have in a long time. I see possibilities where I used to see roadblocks. Most importantly, I feel happy and hopeful.
No price tag can be put on the gift that I’ve been given. I imagine that I will be forever grateful for it. The best part is that I didn’t ask for it. I didn’t expect it. And I never would have gotten it if I hadn’t taken a risk and let my guard down.
Haiku: Boogie on the Dashboard
Posted on | February 23, 2010 | No Comments
What is that there? Um,
A boogie on the dashboard?
Doesn’t bother me!
02.18.2010
Posted on | February 18, 2010 | No Comments
Beautiful day in Chicago! According to my car, it was 41 degrees while I was out today.
02.17.2010
Posted on | February 17, 2010 | No Comments
Lenten Promises
Posted on | February 16, 2010 | No Comments
Tomorrow marks the beginning of Lent and, being the good Catholic girl that I am, I’ll be giving up some things and making some promises. I’ve decided to use this year’s Lenten season as an opportunity for change. Yeah, yeah… I can barely keep up with my New Years Resolutions. But I have to believe that I can spend the next forty days living a little better and improving myself–cuz if I don’t, I’m gonna go to hell. Aw, just kidding! I think…
It’s pretty difficult to give up things like rice, meat, or coffee (though I did successfully give up coffee one year), so I’ve decided to give up deep fried food this year. It may seem easy, but I ate bacon, a donut, and fries today without thinking anything of it. I’m also going to give up pop, but that’s a pretty easy one. Other things I thought about giving up but know that I can’t: swearing, drinking, Twitter, chocolate. Actually, I probably could give up chocolate. We’ll see.
I’ve also decided to add positive things in my life along with shedding some of the negative. I promise to eat fruit everyday, except the days that I’m fasting. I kept a food diary for awhile and actually went a whole month without eating fruit, so this isn’t as easy as it sounds. I’ve also been exceptionally lazy lately, and with that laziness comes some guilt, so I’m promising to accomplish something, big or small, each day. I’ll record my accomplishments in my journal.
So, there you go. Lent 2010. Now excuse me while I stuff my face with junk food. I’ve only got five more hours to enjoy Fat Tuesday.
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