going to the chapel...

Alright, so this new roommate thing… gonna be awesome. Christine and I have been talking for a few months and I finally got to meet her today! Her parents helped her bring in all her stuff (I felt SUPER unhelpful given my current mobility status and the fact that I can’t carry anything, but I was the official door holder) and start unpacking. We all went out for dinner at N9NE Steakhouse on Randolph and Bellezza Gelato Cafe afterwards. Soooo full! Best thing about having a med school roommate? She is in no way grossed out by my foot, and will gladly change my bandages till it stops being all gross and pus-y. How nice is she? :)

This weekend one of the members of the management team for John’s hockey team is getting married and I get to be his date! This is exactly what I’m wearing! The dress so beautiful… absolutely to die for! Plus, weddings are just my favorite things ever. I love seeing how different couples personalize them to make them their own! And slow dancing all night isn’t bad either ;) It’s going to be a wonderful night!

doing good, and looking good while doing it!

SOMEONE TAKE MY CREDIT CARD AWAY! Okay, I needed school bags. Law school text books are no joke, kids. I feel slightly less guilty, however, because these lovely bags by FEED Projects are made for a wonderful cause! FEED Projects offers about 30 products (bags, shirts, teddy bears, bracelets, pouches) between $15 and $225 with proceeds going to specific causes per item involving the end of world hunger. I ordered the classic FEED 1 Bag and the FEED 2 Kenya bag tonight! Here are their summaries:

FEED 1 Bag: The FEED 1 bag is a stylish, well-designed reversible burlap and 100% organic cotton bag that has a mighty mission - to help raise awareness and funds for child hunger. The bag reads “FEED the Children of the World” on one side and “1” on the reverse, indicating that each bag will provide one child in Africa school lunch for an entire year through a donation to the United Nations World Food Programme.

FEED 2 Kenya Bag: Each FEED 2 Kenya bag is handcrafted in Kenya by a co-op of women and deaf Kenyans, and includes a $100 donation to the United Nations World Food Programme’s School Feeding Operations in Kenya. Not only does this purchase support women and deaf Kenyan artisans, but the donation provides nutritious school meals to two Kenyan children for an entire year. The WFP School Feeding Program in Kenya is a well needed support system in a nation that is now dealing with a food crisis that has left 10 million Kenyans at risk of hunger.

I’m very excited for these bags to arrive! I’ve been sitting on the couch all afternoon and evening and I need something to look forward to! Not ready to spend $225 on a bag? They have $25 ones too! I encourage all my followers to shop for charity with this great cause!

Visit FEEDProjects.com

Prague, Praha, Prag, Praga part three

The hill leading up to the castle district. A super grueling, long walk up!

Prague gelato stands like to rip you off. 1. They give you ONE super tiny scoop of ice cream 2. They don't put it in the cone well... the second my tongue touched it, the ice cream fell out of the cone and onto the ground, leaving me with only the waffle cone. John gave me his instead... what a good boyfriend :)

Prague from the top of the Castle District hill. The official 2nd ugliest building in the world in the background.

 

 

lululemon order 8/11/11

Once again, the “empty apartment creeps” are got the best of me. So I shopped some more. This isn’t a good trend. Tuesday can’t come fast enough. Christine, please come sooner! I spent a ton more money a lululemon athletica, my favorite store to buy workout/yoga clothing from. It runs a tad expensive, but the clothes, accessories and mats are both beautiful and good quality. 

Yesterday I worked my first official shift at Anthropologie in the New East Side, and man, it was exhilarating! The store is beautiful and the girls are so friendly! I basically was just shown the ropes today and shadowed one of the other workers. We folded and re-folded clothes, put clothes on hangers and did the typical “can I help you with anything?” It was super fun, and I’m rather excited to start working more! I start in legal services at the United Center next Wednesday as well! 

august birchbox

Yay! I got my first birchbox today! I thought I'd be stuck in Minneapolis for a week, but it only came a day late! I first heard about it on Meredith's blog and I had to sign up! For those of you who don't know what birchbox is, it's a lovely little service that sends you larger-than-you-get-in-a-department-store-samples of trendy, upscale beauty products like makeup, nail polish, creams, perfume and other little beauty supplies! It's only $10 a month for 5 or 6 products that change every month and are specialized to your coloring and skin type (there are a TON of different combinations for different people!) I'm super excited to try out all my new products. Here's a quick summary of what I got:

• Befine Night Cream: "Upgrade your nighttime routine with this lush cream--cocoa spurs circulation, while rice bran keeps sin supple and healthy."
• I usually use a mask and moisturizer, but I'm pretty excited to try something different and see if it works for me!
• blinc Mascara: "This game changing mascara encases your lashes in a thin tube of water-resistant formula that won't smudge, smear or run."
• I like my DiorShow mascara. I really like it. It gives me exactly what I want, and I won't change. I tried this quickly and it's fine. Pretty basic. Maybe something I'll use for travel.
• kate spade Twirl perfume: "This flirty scent is a fresh update on the classic fruity floral"
• I like this, it's pretty, but it seems like I've definitely smelled it before. I'm a pretty religious user of Miss Dior Cherie, but I like that this is more fruity than floral. Maybe I'll consider buying a full bottle next spring or summer when I feel it would be more appropriate to wear.
• LIFTLAB Lift & Fix High Potency Solution: "An anti-aging serum with a PhD--LIFTLAB's molecular biologists spent years perfecting a patented natural protein that strengthens and regenerates cells."
• As a soon-to-be 23 year old, am I allowed to use this? I'm more concerned about acne than wrinkles right now. I'll try it though, and if I don't like it I'll give it to one of John's teammate's wives or something.
• Extra twistband Hair Tye: "This soft elastic gives the hair tie a sophisticates makeover--it looks as good on your wrist as it does in your hair."
• I'm not too impressed with this so far. It's really just a piece of elastic tied in a knot. You could probably make it yourself. But it was free, so I guess I'll use it.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with this month's box, minus the anti-aging stuff. But it's cool, maybe it'll make my skin look good! I encourage you guys to sign up for this service--it's like Christmas morning every month! 

you're invited

Aren't these invitations beautiful?! My roommate Christine and I are throwing a housewarming party in September and I'm in charge of invitations. I visited The Paper Factory in Chicago yesterday and requested a few samples, which I scanned and had my Tumblr readers vote on their favorite. This fall inspired one won out, and I'm very excited! Maybe we could even make it a fall themed party!

adjusting quite nicely

So I found my Nikon. After my last post, John arrived and we had our typical I-haven't-seen-you-in-two-weeks embraces, he helped set up my bed, a couple tables and unwrapped and lint-rolled the couch in the living room while I started sorting things in boxes by room and function, my mom made my bed and my dad installed a few light fixtures, the TV and a new screen on the balcony. Around five, we headed over to John's apartment for dinner, as my plates and cooking tools were under a few layers of newspaper and cardboard. Since John went to college instead of playing junior hockey and living with a billet family, he's always had to cook for himself. It was pretty bad at first, but I've taught him a thing a two since then, including always having a few basics to make a meal with. My mom and I made a pretty awesome meal with what was already in his kitchen while "the boys" sat out on the balcony talking about hockey (of course). But that's okay, because guess who got clean up? ;) 

The rest of the night will consist of everyone sitting around and catching up, sharing trip photos and stories that my parents haven't even seen or heard yet, and maybe heading out for some gelato later? We'll see. I hope every day in Chicago turns out like this one!

A different angle of our "build-your-own bruschetta" with fresh, organic tomatoes, cucumber, pesto, mozzarella, onions, mushrooms, basil, garlic and parmesan!

Sweet corn, watermelon and toasted ciabatta bread from the Chicago Farmer's Market.

This is really not that great of a photo, but I was too hungry to take another!

And lastly, in an unrelated note: Golden Gopher football practice started today! While our football history at the U of M is just short of terrible, I love our team! I went to every possible game I could during my undergrad years! I have lots of faith in this new team and our new coach, Jerry Kill! SO GLAD I get BigTen Network here in Chicago! Forever a Gopher!