Wanderers: We Walk Around

Who says you can't have ice cream before dinner?! Spoiler alert: it really does ruin your appetite... However, knowing this didn't stop Kayla and I from enjoying a little ice cream treat from Annette's off Armitage. We were both entranced with the "cookie jar" flavor: chocolate ice cream, caramel swirl, with bits of m&m oatmeal cookie dough. Yes, it was as good as it sounds. 

Beforehand, we spent the morning at Nookies Too nomming on some tasty egg dishes. We decided to just just wander around Lincoln Park and go into various shops.

After filling up on ice cream, we obviously had to get some dinner. Kayla had been wanting to try this authentic Mexican restaurant off the Belmont stop, so try we did. This summer has been filled with many mexican meals, all of which have been delicious, and Mi Tierra was no exception. Also, the interior decorations were very amusing, look at those colors!

Check out Kayla blending in with her surroundings!

BreakFEST

Last weekend was another eventful one in Chicago. On Saturday Kayla and I made the familiar trek to Wicker Park for their annual summer festival. We enjoyed some music, free food, and our favorite activity: dog watching. It was unseasonably cold, so that was a bummer, but overall it was a nice time.

I ate at Santullo's Eatery. It's a New York style pizza place. My pizza had feta cheese and roasted red peppers, it was also named "The Hipster" so it was basically me in pizza form.

On Sunday morning we decided to be totally stereotypical and go to brunch. Who doesn't love brunch?!

While we originally set out for a breakfast place called Orange, we stumbled upon Kitsch'n and decided to go there instead. We both had tasty pesto omelets! Let me tell you, they were fantastic. Also, look at how cute this place is! Luckily, it was nice enough for us to enjoy our breakfast outside. Afterwards we went to a thrift store and bought some mom jeans that we later transformed into distressed shorts.

Homeward Bound

Last weekend Kayla and I went home for the first time all summer! As much as we love the city, it's always a nice change of pace to spend sometime in the suburbs. We left right after I got off work on Friday, so we could spend as much time home as possible. We didn't even make it back to our home until late that night because we made our dad drop us off at our friend's house. We went to a neighboring suburb to enjoy dinner and dessert. 

The picture above is of the best place ever. It's called Cookie Dough Creations, and they literally serve you raw cookie dough! Every child's dream is realized at this spot. 

On Saturday we spent the day at the waterpark we used to lifeguard at. One of our old (and favorite) supervisors hooked us up with some free tickets. It was nice, and also a little weird to see people we used to work with. The weather was perfect, and it wasn't too crowded. We also got to soak up the sun, which we don't get to do enough as we both work an awful lot during the week.

Saturday night we had a sleepover in the living room, yes we still have sleepovers with each other  and yes we still act like 8 year old girls. Our old pup Hershe joined in on the fun and slept between the two of us. 

On Sunday we caught up with an old friend who had spent a month studying abroad. We then went to lunch with our Mom, and chilled the rest of the day. Going home is always such a great time, but I'm happy to be back in the bustling city of Chicago.

Downtown Sound

Living in Chicago in the summer is nothing short of amazing. The city provides so much to do, and a lot of it is free! This week we went to a chicago program called Downtown Sound, where new bands play in Millennium Park and it is completely free. Luckily the weather was gorgeous, no rain or extreme heat to ruin our time. We brought some food and drinks, and laid in the grass listening to strange hipster dub step. Although the music was not my cup of tea, the company and atmosphere made the whole outing worthwhile.

Shannon (right) and me (left) at downtown sound!

Shannon, Claire, and I at downtown sound. The grass is always packed, regardless of who is playing. The atmosphere encourages people to come out and enjoy summer in the city!

The Big Move

My first post on the blog! Recently we made a move from Lincoln Park to Wrigleyville. Although it is just over a mile away, they seem like two different worlds. Our old place in Lincoln Park was gorgeous, but the streets are fully of parents and babies, not exactly our age group. But Wrigley is always bustling, with a crazy nightlife, and loads of shops. Our new place is a bit smaller, but already feels like home! We have made the place our own with personal DIY touches. Having Shannon here has been the best part of the summer! Constantly being in the company of my best friend, I really could not ask for more. Excuse my short mushy tangent, back to the change in scenery! Wrigley is home of the Chicago Cubs, a team that may not always win, but sure knows how to have fun! Its been just over two weeks since the move, and its already feeling like home.

 

Grown Up Parades

 When you think of parades you generally imagine a nice marching band, random cheerleading teams, and old people handing out candy. This was not that kind of parade.

The above photo is one of the parade route for the Pride Parade in Chicago. Oh my goodness, there were millions of people there. Literally millions.

One of the best parts of this parade is how you get to dress. The Pride Parade symbolizes a celebration. So what better way to celebrate than dress incredibly ridiculous? This is literally any little girls dream come true. Wearing any and every color, all the accessories you can manage, and act crazy.

Luckily we didn't have to stick it out among the aforementioned millions of fellow parade goers because we have a friend that lived along the parade route.

Overall it was a really fun day to experience an "adult" parade. 

Pride and Sunshine

We started the weekend off on the right fot! Friday we met up with a couple high school friends at Jane's in Boys Town for dinner. It was so fun to catch up with these two ladies. We go way way back (6th grade!) and now we're all grown up. I can't help but get a little nostalgic whenever we get together.

Last weekend was also Pride Fest, the predecessor to the Pride parade which is tis weekend! WOOT! Kayla and I made the small venture over to Boys Town to join in on the festivities. It was a really fun festival; full of music, food, and free stuff. You know the kinds of things you never use/ need (i.e. key chains, coupons, among other random inanimate objects), that's what we got. It was finally nice out (we've had a col/rainy summer so far) so we soaked up the sun and had a great time chatting with vendors and walking down the populated street.

These were the cheerleaders and they were absolutely fantastic. You can't help but smile from ear-to-ear when watching them, such great performers!

Kayla with her many stickers supporting the LGTB community! 

I'm on the right Kayla is on the left.

On Sunday it was finally hot enough to enjoy some sunshine on the beach! We made the long hike to the beach with a few friends and just soaked up the sun. I tried getting in the water but it was way too cold. As in my legs were numb after 30 seconds cold. It was nice to relax and get a little color. Keep in mind when I say color, I mean lobster red, but color nonetheless. It was a great way to end a weekend!

I'm on the Left, Kayla is on the right.