Gilded Living

Please allow me to gush for a moment; I found this photo of my son, August, when scrolling through my phone yesterday and have a few thoughts about it: 1. Umm, when did I become the mother to a not-so-young man?! And gosh, isn't he handsome! 2. Do you think he'll be as dapper and classy as this elevator in our favorite vintage store in Chicago? Am I looking into his future? Should I start searching for the perfect smoking jacket to gift him for Christmas when he's 35? 3. Kidding, he better never, ever smoke. 4. This boy has worked so hard in school this year, getting acclimated to public school after being homeschooled. Third quarter ends this week and then just one more until he has a successful year of high school under his belt. I couldn't be prouder of him! 5. Can we please freeze time now though? Because I can't handle how quickly our living-under-the-same-roof days are coming to a close. Hug your littles tight, mamas and daddies! It's the bi...

...one is silver, and the other gold! What's better than meeting up a girlfriend of 30+ years who also loves beer? Not a whole heLL (those are hockey sticks) of a lot! My friend Brenda and I met playing tennis though our south side town's parks and rec department in grade school, and then finally got to spend our days together in junior high. She was a staple in my life for years: we built a tree house, logged countless hours playing tennis and watching MTV (back when it played music videos), rode the city bus 15 miles to the book store every month or so to buy the new Babysitter's Club books (and then discussed them all at length, long before either of us knew what a book club was), and ate a lot of toast spread with cream cheese, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar! Those times were great, and so are our recent get-togethers...still talking books and tennis, but now with beer!

Uh oh! I've been caught white-tongued! 😋 Did y'all take advantage of Dairy Queen's free cone day yesterday? Our family swung by for a little dessert before dinner...it was a great way to kick off Spring! 🍦 Thanks, Dairy Queen ! 🍦

It's more than a Waffle House . It's a Waffle home. Always living my best life when roadtripping! Must have items include a satisfied belly full of waffles and hashbrowns, a to-go cup of Cherry Coke  in my hand, and a smile on my face!

The snow and ice are all steadily melting and for the first time all year, our forecast has zero below-freezing temperatures in it. It is finally Spring! Seeing as Winter is in the rear view, it is now acceptable to reminisce about the beauty of winter...like this magical spot I discovered with my kids in January! I felt a little like Eric Larsen , the polar explorer (the first person to visit the North Pole, South Pole, and top of Everest in 1 year), standing up there! Fun fact, he's from my little town of Cedarburg, Wisconsin ! Happy 1st day of Spring, everyone! Let's make the most of this new beginning!

It's Tuesday, which is usually the toughest day of the week for me. It's not Monday, the beginning of something new, and it's not hump day or later...just Tuesday. So let's do a little daydreaming and travel planning, shall we? I took this photo a couple of weeks ago just before touching down in Mexico City . Doesn't the city look gorgeous? Unfortunately, I didn't get to spend much time there; I logged more time drilling my seatmates on their vacations and lives there than I did on the ground. It is definitely a place I want to return to, to check out the incredible history and culture, meet many more friendly people, and taste the food I've dreamed of ever since watching the first episode of Rick Bayless 's show One Plate at a Time many years ago! So, on this Tuesday, tell me: where would you ✈️ off to tomorrow if given the chance? Why? Each comment will be awarded a participation trophy!

Happy St Patrick's Day! ☘️ When Irish eyes are smiling, they're usually up to something...but not in this case! I was just happy to be in Chicago with my family to watch the dying of the river yesterday! Fun fact: The plant-based powdered dye used to color the river green is actually orange! And since it's a 60+ year family secret, only a handful of people know how it works!