Final Countdown!

I would say "10 Day Countdown," but apparently we've missed it. Anyway, I can't believe Christmas is a little over a week away! We're still not finished with our shopping! It's nice and Christmas-y around here. Lots of snow was dumped on us this weekend, so it's a winter wonderland! We'll be home in less than a week and can't wait to see everyone! Thought the corresponding picture pretty much summed up the current sentiment at our house.

Another Favorite: Rockwell's Neighborhood Grill

It's been a while since we posted about a favorite spot, so we thought we would post about a new favorite -- Rockwell's Neighborhood Grill. We recently started going here for a quick dinner because it's right across the street from my yoga studio. Rockwell's boasts that they make the best burger in Chicago, and John will agree with that. They also have lots of great salads, which makes me happy. Everything we've tried there is great, so Rockwell's is definitely a keeper!

Ice Storm in Oklahoma

To all our friends and family at home --
Stay warm and be careful!

Cookies, Cookies Everywhere!

I hosted my first cookie exchange this weekend. For those of you who aren't familiar, each person brings a different kind of cookies, and everyone shares cookies - that way each person will go home with the same number of cookies they brought, but all different kinds. Anyway, I only invited 6 people - this way it wouldn't be too out of control. It was still a ton of work, though! Since the cookies were for take away, I had to make all sorts of other apps to eat at the actual party part. It was a really great time, and a nice laid-back way to celebrate Christmas with friends. I've posted a few pictures, including a before photo. The girls who attended are Liana, Sarah, Sam, Erica, Beth and Nicole. Such fun! Now John has the hard job of eating all those cookies!

Barack Rocks!

Last night John and I attended the Barack Obama Change Rocks event at the Riviera Theater. I wasn't so excited when he told me he got us tickets - those of you who know me well know I'm supporting another candidate - but we had a really great time. Several bands played - a couple of local acts, a couple of guys from Third Eye Blind, Jill Sobule, Macy Gray, and John's favorite band, Wilco. I will say that Barack is a really inspirational man. He has lots of energy and a knack for capturing a crowd. He may have even won me over. He has some really great ideas, respects the Constitution, and is really smart -- three attributes that are absolutely not possessed by the current administration. I know a lot of our family and friends don't particularly share the same views as us, but that's the great thing about being an American - the right to have and speak one's own ideas without shame or retribution. Here are some pictures from the event. We didn't take them - Chris Sweda from the Chicago Sun-Times did.

Let It Snow!

During the past 24 hours, Chicago has turned into a winter wonderland! We got about 6 inches last night and are expected to another 2-4 inches tomorrow! Pictures to follow... Brrr!

Happy December!

Seasons Greetings everyone! We've been really busy, so sorry for the lack of posts lately! Here are some holiday photos of our place and cats! Also, it started blizzarding today so here are some pictures taken out our front windows. It's a nice and brisk 26 outside, but inside, it's so delightful! Not too hot, though. Isn't it nice when the ice in your water doesn't melt? Ever?