Back from My World Tour

 {we heart it}

You may have noticed that I’ve been a bad blogger lately (at least by my standards.)  That last post about blazers literally took me a week to piece together, having 5 seconds here, 5 seconds there.  But in the past two weeks, I have literally been around the world and back.  Ok, maybe not literally “around the world,” but it sure as heck has felt that way.  You already know about Matt and I’s trip to Philly, but after that, we flew to Houston, to Chicago, back to Houston, drove to Dallas, and finally, late Sunday afternoon, we made it home.  All of this in the span of just over a week and a half.  Exhausting to say the least.  I have never been so happy to turn the key in the front door of Matt and I’s shoebox of an apartment than I was on Sunday.  But, even with all the craziness, Matt and I managed to have a really good time in every country city on our “world tour.”

After Philly and a quick one night layover in Houston, we flew to Chicago for several days in hopes of finding our new home.  (We are moving to Chicago at the end of this semester.  You can read more about it here and here.)  After a few fights over city vs. suburb and some unnecessarily dramatic tears from me , Matt and I finally decided to live in the burbs.  Slight groan, I know, but I think it is going to be the best choice for us, given that Matt’s job is closer to the suburbs and that we’d like to have a place big enough for friends and family to shack up with us when my visit Chicago.

We were so lucky to be able to stay with our friends, Matt and Christie (smiling above), in Chicago who have a chic little brownstone in Lincoln Park.  They are so generous in letting us shack up with them when we visit, particularly because my suitcase tends to explode in their dining room the minute we arrive.  (Read about our last shack up with them here.)  The night Matt and I got in, the four of went to watch a performance by Vintage Theater Collective, started by one of Christie’s dear friends and a girl I grew up going to school with.  I really enjoyed it, and it got good reviews in the Chicago Reader (congrats Katy!)  Here are Matt and Christie smiling on the way home, indulging their touristy friend who has to take pictures everywhere we go :)

The next day Matt and I went apartment hunting, and though we’d allotted three full days to find a place, we were so blessed to find our new home after only 5 stops!  We absolutely ADORE it, and we were so lucky because it came with an extra cherry on top.  We were scheduled to have our current apartment through August, so were planning to pay double rent for a few months once we’d moved to Chicago.  Matt random noticed a familiar logo on the door of the office when we walked it, and it turns out that they are owned by the same company who owns our current apartment.  So what’s the cherry on top?  Because its the same company, we were able to get out of our lease early, no penalties!  Woo hoo, hooray!  It literally could not have worked out better.  (And don’t be fooled by the picture above, our apartment isn’t downtown, I just snapped this pic while we were out in the city.)

I am beyond excited to decorate a new space, and I will post tons of pictures as we move and transform our new little home.  If it were up to me, it would be a shabby chic wonderland, but I have a husband who cares about the space he lives in, so we’ll go for more of a hotel chic look.  At least that’s my plan :)  The kitchen might be my favorite part of the apartment due to the stainless steel appliances.  The place we’re in now has appliances from the stone age, so I am thrilled with these babies.  Other bonuses include a wood burning fireplace, a stackable washer/dryer, giant walk in closets, a patio, 2 bathrooms (a relationship saver), and a big storage locker for all my Christmas decorations :)

That night we went to Goose Island Brewery with our friends Matt and Christie to celebrate our new home.  (The picture I posted in my blazer post is from there as well.)  Please excuse my gigantic self in this pic, lol.  I had on my mega tall boots that night, which apparently make me look like a woman capable of making it into the Guinness Book of World Records for world’s tallest freak woman!

The next day Matt and I went downtown to check out the green river.  Every Saturday before St. Patrick’s Day, the city of Chicago dyes the Chicago River green.  We didn’t make it there till the Wednesday after, so to me, it just looked dirty.  But next year, we’ll make sure to see it on its unveiling day.  (Since we’ll be living in Chicago and all!) I don’t ever get sick of saying that :)

We headed to Lou Malnatis for some famous deep dish pizza.  This is known to be one of the best places for deep dish pizza, and it did not disappoint.  It was also completely fat free ;)

That night we headed to Tarantino’s for appetizers and drinks.  They had off the chart kind-of-martinis (they weren’t as strong as typical martinis, thankfully) and these delicious fried oysters.  Though this blog might not seem like it, I swear I do more with my life than eat. 

Christie made a lovely toast cheersing (is that a word?) to Chicago, our newest home.  I can’t wait see what the windy city brings us!

Buuuut our trip didn’t end there.  We flew into Houston, grabbed lunch with my mom, and then headed up to Dallas for my best friend, Jordan, and her fiancé's engagement party.  Matt and I arrived feeling a bit like travel-crazed, sleep deprived zombies, but we wouldn’t have missed this party for anything!  Jordan and I are obsessed with getting our makeup done at MAC, and the engagement party was the perfect excuse to stop in and get our makeup done (and take picture while doing so.)

Sweet Matt and I at the party.  I really have an incredible husband :)

I am so excited to stand next to Jordan as she marries her man next year.  Oh and ps, just call me  the friendly ghost :)

  Me and my almost-mommy friend, Kendall.  I blogged about her baby shower here and still cannot believe she is about to have her very own, real life, handsome prince, baby boy.  Eeek!

My best friend Steven finally arrived and our high school group was complete (minus Adrienne, we missed you Adge!)  I seriously adore these people for who they are and all the joy the bring into my life.

The party was tons of fun, and by the end of the night, my stomach hurt from laughing so much.  I have really cool friends.  It’s a fact.  They’re really cool.

After I posted this post (redundant much?) this picture was emailed to me and I love it too much not to share it!

The next morning Matt and I got up bright and early to drive back home.  This is what we were greeted with.  I swear, only in Texas is it 70 degrees on a Friday, then mid blizzard on Saturday night.  Pathetically, I didn’t have an ice scraper, so I used a neon green, disposable, foam flip flop from my pedicure the day before.  Hahahhhaha, it was so sad and so funny at the same time.  I died laughing at myself (in the cold, while scraping snow and ice with a foam flip flop.)  I am going to struggle in Chicago :)

Phew, what a crazy week and a half!  And phew, what a long blog post!  If you’re still reading, I am totally impressed.  All in all, I got to spend time with some fabulous people, see some cool sights, and find our fabulous new home in Chicago!  Hooray!