A Chalkboard Wall Weekend

 It's the weekend again!

These are some photos from last weekend, which was cloudy, humid, and cozy.

It was the end of a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week so I think I felt especially comforted by a few cloudy, slow, relaxing days with my little family.

On this blog I bet it's easy to think that things are always good here, and while I purposefully am not an open book on my blog, I get that it probably makes it seem like I don't have a care in the world.

And that just could not be further from the truth.

On a regular basis.

That being said, by Friday I was feeling more at peace and I opened some cookbooks that haven't been opened for a very long time, braved two grocery stores with Augy, and made up a little list on our entryway chalkboard of ideas for the weekend.

It turns out that we hit everything on that list, and the week ended in a better place than it began.

^^^ Chalkboard wall! ^^^

^^^ So.  I am obsessed with this movie.  I watched it twice last week.  And yes, we are parents of a newborn so we started it Friday night, couldn't stay awake even though it's crazy beautiful, and finished it Saturday afternoon.  Cozy town. ^^^

^^^ Gaia Cookies from Bread & Wine.  My friend Alyce made these for book club when we discussed this book, and I've been thinking about them ever since.  They're not overly sweet, and we for sure ate them for breakfast Saturday morning. ^^^

^^^ My allergies have been attacking me at night big time making sleeping a rough go, so Neal got up with Augy and let me sleep in a little on Saturday morning.  I woke up to this face. ^^^

^^^ I am so glad I live a world where there are Octobers.  Except for Octobers with allergies. ^^^

^^^ I can't get enough of him discovering these little animals over and over. ^^^

^^^ The Andie!  Neal's nickname for me is "Andie" (for Anderson) so I think I should own a pair of these JCrew pants.  Just saying. ^^^

^^^ Saturday morning we walked up Wells Street to Lincoln Park to a new coffee shop, Elaine's Coffee Call.  Elaine's is in the bottom of the Lincoln Hotel.  And it is a new favorite, hands down!

Though it's tiny, I loved the atmosphere and the vibe, and the chocolate chip cookie is out of this world.

They sprinkle sea salt on the top of the cookie.  Okay?  Okay.  ^^^

^^^ Green City fall farmer's market ^^^

^^^ Lincoln Park ^^^

^^^ I feel like the luckiest girl in the world that I get to be his mama.  Also, why is this fall so hot?  It's been so hot.  Look at us, we're wearing summer clothes! ^^^

^^^ Sunday finally cooled down to... cold.  Broke out the wool elephant blanket for the first time on the way to Montrose.  Love.  ^^^

Have a wonderful weekend!

Chicago Bagel Authority

Our weekend in Chicago was the kind only September can give.

September is hands down our favorite month in this city.

It's that bluer than blue sky hanging above a Lake Michigan gone teal that just gets me.

Something to do with the air pressure, no?

I don't know, but unfortunately it's the same air that kicks my allergies in.

Allergies kept it real this weekend people!

I'm a fighter when it comes to good weather though.

We spent the better part of the weekend out and about, enjoying our new family-of-three-ness.

A couple fun places-- the new indoor/outdoor Argo that I'm obsessed with, and Chicago Bagel Authority (CBA).

It was our first time to CBA, and we were fans!

Fun location, fun interior, and what seemed like a hundred different choices of bagel sandwiches.

Limited seating, though.

Anyone else been to CBA?

Let me know if you try it!

And... hooray for chubby cheeks.  Yum.

Bridgeport Coffee Co

The month of March.

When the lion and lamb charades come out to play, we try to guess the character of the day.

First Vespa ride,

Iced lattes,

Bicycles and parks?

Blankets and books,

Coffee shops and sweaters?

Rain, wind, shine, blooms? 

March is a sweet month in our little world, not because charades is our game but because

the lost art of spring break is our game.

Husband's job at a college gives a novel 2 weeks,

so every minute I wasn't at work, we went out into the city, letting the daily weather charade give us clues.

Last summer, my friend Kirra lived in the Bridgeport neighborhood and every time we rode the Vespa down to her place, she was all, "You guys gotta stop at Bridgeport Coffee!"

Hey.  You.

You gotta stop at Bridgeport Coffee. 

If the day looks like the form of a lion, spend the afternoon at Bridgeport Coffee with it's twinkle lights, bud vases, big windows,

and vintage ceiling tiles, with thick old white paint.

It's the kind of day spring dreams are made of.
Lion or lamb.