29 Photos of February

Here is my collection of 29 photos of February.

Day 1: Your View Today

There is always a puzzle being worked at our house

Day 2: Words
My Sketchbook


Day 3: Hands

Day 4: A Stranger
Seen on a Date to Atlantic Station with my Buddy, Ford

Day 5: 10 AM
Marble Paintings with Ford's class

Day 6: Dinner
Salted Potatoes and Guacamole


Day 7: Button


Day 8: Sun
Shadows at Rush Hour


Day 9: Front Door
Delaney's Doll House


Day 10: Self Portrait


Day 11: Makes You Happy
Twirling Delaney


Day 12: Inside Your Closet


Day 13: Blue


Day 14: Heart
My Valentine from my Aunt, Complete with Awesome Thrift Store Earrings



Day 15: Phone
The Phone in the Kid's Play Kitchen



Day 16: Something New
My Attempt at Visual Journaling (a morning with Mary Freeman)



Day 17: Time
They change the welcome mats at the W Hotel in Chicago depending on the time of day


Day 18: Drink
Tequila Tasting Dinner at No Mas! Cantina



Day 19: Something You Hate to Do
I love folding laundry but I hate putting it away


Day 20: Handwriting


Day 21: A Favorite Photo of You
College Days in a Fire Truck wearing a Thrift Store Jackie O Suit



Day 22: Where You Work
Choosing Paint Colors and Fabric Swatches on My Sofa for a new project



Day 23: Your Shoes
A Weekday Escape to the Movies


Day 24: Inside your Bathroom Cabinet



Day 25: Green
We always laugh that all the girls in my family always show up in the same color combination to every event together...pheromones!


Day 26: Night
As in Oscar Night with Popcorn, Milk Duds and a second photo of our Champagne.


Day 27: Something you Ate
Spaghetti Squash Cream on Toast with Microgreens from Avec in Chicago



Day 28: Money
Where Mine Lives


Day 29: Something You're Listening To
Delaney and Ford's Dance Party

Tasting Tequila

For my birthday, my parents took Brandon and I to a tequila tasting at No Mas! Cantina. The place is eclectic and colorful and most items, furniture, lighting, etc that adorn the restaurant are for sale. They do these tequila tastings on the weekends and you can check out their website for dates and availability.



Brandon and I at the bar waiting for our tasting to begin.



We tasted 7 different tequilas and each one was paired with a different course. We learned so much about tequila which I have never known much about before. We learned the differences between Blanco (unaged) , Reposado (aged 3 months to 1 year), and Anejo (aged 1 to 3 years) tequilas. We learned the difference between mixing tequilas and sipping tequilas and drinking tequilas.


We started with Chips and Salsa and Queso and the No Mas! Classic Margarita which used Jose Cuervo Tradicional Silver Tequila.


The pairings were delicious. This butternut squash soup was delicious with the second tequila we tried which was Don Julio Blanco, an unaged tequila.


We then enjoyed Mole Chicken Skewers with Don Julio Reposado which was aged 8 months.



The Don Julio Anejo which was aged 18 months was paired with Carne Asada and Blue Cheese Tacos.


We finished with Chocolate Truffles and Jose Cuervo Reserva De La Familia tequila and Don Julio 70th Anniversary tequila. We all agreed the best tequila of the night was by far the Jose Cuervo Reserva De La Familia.


They gave us SWAG bags for the road with extra truffles, shot glasses, cocktail stirrers, etc. It was such a fun afternoon and we learned so much. I highly recommend it.

What LOVE looks like at my house right now....

Happy Valentine's Day!!! Hope your day is silly.... and sweet!

Valentines in Pictures

Here is our Valentines Day in Pictures...so far.....

Breakfast


Shelves


To Be Delivered


Note from the Valentine Fairy

My Favorite Valentine Delaney made this year and a pink globe


My Valentine button that Brandon gave me 7 years ago that I wear on this day every year



Bags for Ford's Valentine Exchange at school that I helped them make with Marbles and Paint


The Most Creative Valentine we have received this week. Thanks Jenny!!



Best Valentines Snack: apples and cheese



Love Letter Nails


Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Memories of Whitney

When I was in second grade, our music class at school performed "The Greatest Love of All". That was my introduction to Whitney Houston. Little did I know how many memories of my childhood would revolve around her.

My birthday is in February, 12 days after Valentines Day. That same year my dad gave me a Valentines card. It was small, about the size of half a greeting card. It was made of foam board and hand painted by an artist and had the first line from "The Greatest Love of All" written on it. Every day, for the next 12 days, I got another card, each day a little larger with another line from my favorite song written on it. Finally, on my birthday, he gave me the largest card, probably 2 feet tall, with the final line written on it. It was a gift I will never forget.

When I was in third grade, my dad took me on the perfect date. He picked me up from school and there was a giant box in the car waiting for me. Inside was my first "adult" dress, a blue and black printed Nicole Miller drop waist dress. I thought it was beautiful and made me beautiful. He took me to dinner and the Whitney Houston concert at the Omni. I loved Whitney Houston more than anything. We had third row tickets, center stage and I remember standing on my chair and dancing with my dad all night long to my favorite singer singing "I Wanna Dance with Somebody".

I cried the day my brother's missing Hamster was found in my closet. He had made a new home out of my Whitney Houston poster which was shredded beyond repair.

I remember getting my hair permed to look like Whitney's hair in her "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" video and wearing giant bows in my hair pulled to one side to copy her look. I'm sure she is the reason today that I still love big hair and giant earrings.

The Bodyguard was the first R movie my mother ever let me watch. I thought Whitney was amazing and I wore out my copy of the cassette tape soundtrack.

I'm thankful for all these memories. For the hours and hours I spend in my room listening to Whitney's amazing voice. I'm thankful for parents that understood me and what I loved and gave me wonderful experiences that surrounded that.

Goodbye Whitney. May you finally find peace as you stand face to face with The GREATEST LOVE OF ALL.