Julius Meinl

Monday night coffee shop dates.

Julius Meinl is a great one for those.

Weekends, This Way

Everyone has a way they like weekends.
Over hard, over easy, scrambled.

There are endless combinations that I like: traveling to see family, exploring the city, taking it slow, snuggling at home, or getting out with our friends.

This weekend though was the way I like to order it.
Dinner with friends, Pizano's date with husband, and a new brunch restaurant.

Husband and our friend Chris went out to breakfast at Brunch on Saturday morning, and they loved it so much that husband wanted to take me there the next day.
We both applauded the Chi-Town skillet (house sausage, cherrywood bacon, aged cheddar, roasted tomatoes, caramelized onion, and jalapenos) and the urban loft interior and natural light.
Can't wait to take family and friends there when we have visitors!

Weekends, this way.

 

Converted

My brother and fellow Chicagoan sent me the link to this former church 

near his neighborhood that has been converted into a four bedroom home in Logan Square.

Resuscitate me.

Check out the Chicagoist for more photos of this gorgeous Chi-Town conversion.

If I lived here, I think I could manage to read a book or two in this living room.

image source

Love

His love speaks to me in every season.
(He brings me decaf-soy-half-pumpkin-spice lattes.)
For those of you who find pumpkin spice too sweet or strong, try asking for half the syrup.
Am I speaking your language?

Speak (or hug or kiss or serve) your love this weekend!

Naptown

We stole out of Chi-Town this weekend to hang in Naptown for a little weekend with husband's family.

They all hail from Indianapolis (which husband insists is called Naptown).

As hard as it can be to get away, we're always glad when we do.

His parents' house is the absolute coziest, and I slept in until 11:00 both mornings we were there.

I can't remember the last time I slept in till such an hour.

Naptown it is!

Sorry, husband.  I know, I know, it's not like that.

We sat outside around a fire pit on the back patio at night, drank cider, went on a long walk under fall colors, and I even got a coveted few hours with my mother-in-law alone at Rosie's Place for breakfast.

The cinnamon rolls.

The conversation.

It was the coziest time.

With the Chicago skyline in our rearview mirror on the way down, we stopped at Cunis Candies for caramel apples for the weekend.

Chicagoans, this is the candy shop for caramel apples, but you've got to think suburbs on this one.

 

Chicago Open House via Instagram

Here is husband's take
on the open house via Instagram...

Open House Chicago

What should I do in Chicago?
Where to go, what to see, good eats, great dates.
I love word-of-mouth recommendations from friends and strangers alike, and I love plain old fashioned exploring, paying attention, and being curious.

For the curious, the Chicago Architecture Foundation hosted an event this past weekend called Open House Chicago where they opened 150 buildings in the city that are normally closed to the public.

Geek. Out.

Brother, husband, friend, and I went exploring around the Loop on Sunday, visiting as many sites as we could before close.
It was fantastic and even though it's only held one weekend a year, this event instantly became one of my favorite Chicago experiences.
Recommend, recommend, recommend.

There's links above each coupling of photos to explain where we went.
I think my favorites were the luxury MDA City Apartments built by my architectural crush Daniel Burnham boasting a hot tub on the spectacular roof for residents, and the huge outdoor private gardens, pool, and park that overlook Navy Pier from the 3rd floor of Lake Point Tower.

Mark your calendars for next October!

Civic Opera House

Chicago Temple

 

 MDA City Apartments

 Lake Point Tower

Fall in Lincoln Park

I met husband for lunch today and haggled him into cutting his post-work swim a half hour short to meet me for a Vespa ride.

He's easy.

These fall days are shaving off rays from the sun ring by ring, leaving peels of sunshine resting on piles of leaves left for the last of Vespa days.

I'm of the mind that one of the finest ways to see fall in Chicago is in the neighborhoods.

The neighborhoods have a way of making fall look like it's in its natural habitat... quiet, cozy, vivid, full-bodied, still.

Here's a peek.

  

Rainy Chicago Night

Mmmmm.

Rainy Chicago Sunday night.

Oh the places we've been today, via Chicago's architectural open house.

Adventures by day.

Now smart wool socks and chili by night.

I could fly.  Or sleep.

Apple Holler

Apple Holler love.

We've got a whole lot of it.

  (See previous years here and here).

I highly recommend this orchard if you live in the city!

This year was an obvious disappointment because of the bad apple year, but it's still a festive fall trip with friends.
Our last hour there got a little brighter with some warm sunshine and hot cider and donuts.

As usual, we floundered trying to find a Starbucks off the country roads on the way home to pair with our takeaway box of apple cider donuts.
It seems the wandering, backtracking, lost in Wisconsin Starbucks search has become just as fully tradition as Apple Holler.