Happy 4th of July!

Ok well, Happy (Almost) 4th of July!

I'm counting down the minutes until I get to leave work and dance my little butt into the weekend.  I love short weeks and I love the 4th of July even more!  I don't really have any plans for tomorrow, I don't have a cute little Independence Day outfit planned out, and I'm not really planning on making any red,white, and blue themed foods or drinks.  I'm planning on waking up, putting on a swimsuit, and drinking Jameson and Gingerales all day.  Maybe I'll throw some firework watching action in there at some point too.

Ok, on the real though, I've seen some really cute 4th of July pins lately on Pinterest so I probably have to share those now.

If I was going to throw a huge 4th of July party picnic party, this is what my table would look like:

If I was going to paint my nails all festively, this is what they would look like:
 

If I was going to dress to the nines in red, white, and blue, this is what my outfit would look like:

If I was going to bake a cute little 4th of July dessert, this is what it would look like:
 

Actually, just kidding on that last one.  I could never bake a pie that looked that pretty.  Let me throw some bananas, strawberries, and blueberries in a bowl and call it a 4th of July fruit salad...done.


I also found this really cute little 4th of July facts thing so I'm going to share that with you as well.

I feel like I find these for almost every holiday but they're always interesting and cute so, yeah, I'm not sorry for sharing another one.

Happy Birthday America!

Everyone have a happy and safe 4th of July!

XO. Tarah


 

A Weekend Spent Back Home

Hello everyone and Happy Monday!  It actually is a happy Monday for once though because this is a short week for everyone (at least it is for me so I'm happy).  Only 2 1/2 days of work this week, so today is basically like Wednesday afternoon and everyone loves hump day!  4th of July is on Thursday and I am just excited to get to sleep in on a Thursday and hopefully enjoy some good food, drinks, friends, and fireworks.  Vinnie and I still don't really even have plans so I don't know what we're going to do but since we live in Chicago there are a million possibilities.

This last weekend started early for me because I got to leave work a little early to try and get on the road back home without hitting rush hour.  But remember how Friday was the Stanley Cup Champions (aka the Blackhawks) parade and rally???  Well apparently a lot of people came to little old Chicago (over 2 million people to be exact) and I got caught in THE WORST TRAFFIC EVER!  That might be a little dramatic but for real, it was awful.  It normally takes me 2 1/2 hours to get back home but Friday it took me almost 5.  I was already stressed out about the bridal shower so I thought I was actually going to have a meltdown in the middle of the interstate and start pulling my hair out.  Don't worry I still have all of my hair and I only almost started crying, no actual tears.

By the time I finally got home to my sister's house my parents were already there and they left Iowa about 2 hours after I did and the trip usually takes them about 3 hours.  P.S. I don't think I've ever told everyone that my older sister currently lives in the house that I grew up in.  We moved way out to the country when I was about 6 years old and we lived in that country house until my parents moved to Iowa 3 years ago.  My sister and her husband decided to buy it so now whenever I go visit her, I get to visit my old house too, which is truly a blessing because I have so many fond memories growing up in that old house.  Anyways, back to Friday night, I finally arrived and we pretty much left right away to go to a Winery that was located in the town next to ours.  It's in the middle of nowhere and they had a pretty popular band playing that night whom I had seen play several times while I was in college.  

That night I could not have been happier because sometimes I forget what it was like growing up in the country.  Concerts in the middle of cornfields, good ol' boys dressed in cowboy boots and dirty camo hats, fireflies lighting up all around you, stars upon stars filling up the entire sky for as far as you can see, no police regulating your every move, no snot nosed girls in heels and short dresses judging you for not wearing enough make-up, no one has a care in the world and they're all there just to dance and sing to the country music and have a good time.  I forgot how much I love coming back and hanging out with my fellow rednecks.  There are so many things that I got used to seeing in the country that I never see anymore in the city and I forgot how much I miss it.

Sister, Mom, Me, and wine

Maggie and I

We drank wine, listened to music, reminisced, and just enjoyed ourselves that night.  I wish I lived closer and worked less so that I could have nights like that one more often.  But before we knew it, it was time to go home.  We went home and woke my niece and nephew up even though it was way past their bed time and played with them for awhile before we were all too tired to function anymore.  That night I slept in Emma's princess bed and woke up regretting that decision oh so much.  My back still hurts. 

Saturday was the big bridal shower day.  I woke up early and immediately started working on drawing, cutting out, and gluing mustaches and lips for a stupid bridal shower game.  Then I got ready and ran to the store for a couple of last minute things.  I met Jacquie (the MOH) at her house and we loaded up our cars and drove to the church to set up.  I took a bunch of pictures but they're all still on my real camera so you will have to wait to see any pictures from the bridal shower and lingerie shower but I will tell you that it all went well and all of the stress was worth it because Maggie did enjoy herself which was all that really mattered.  That night Maggie and I stayed up late talking and then fell asleep on the couch.  

Sunday morning we woke up and her fiance made us white chocolate chip pancakes (she bagged a good guy) and then we worked on a few party favors for her wedding.  I hit the road back to Chicago around noon and took all of the back roads to the highway so that I could enjoy my time in the country a little bit longer...and enjoy I did.

I definitely love living in the city of Chicago, but I will always be a country girl at heart.

XO. Tarah


Linking up with Sami's Shenanigans

Feel Good Friday

Happy Friday!  How's feelin good?!?

This week has definitely flown by for me because I've been so busy (and stressed to the max) working and throwing together everything for Maggie's bridal shower this weekend.  I'm sleep deprived and living on caffeine today but it's finally Friday and I'm ready for a fun-filled (hopefully) weekend.

Today is a short day for me at work.  I'm leaving early to get on the road and head towards home which is about a 3 hour drive.  Tonight I get to see Maggie (the bride to be), my parents, my sister, and my niece and nephew.  I can't wait to see them all!

I'm still nervous for Maggie's bridal shower on Saturday because, as I've said before, the maid of honor kind of dropped the ball on planning it and I'm helping her throw it all together last minute.  I hope that everything goes well.

Also, today (actually right at this very minute) the Chicago Blackhawks are parading through downtown Chicago and are stopping at Grant Park for a rally.  We all got to wear Blackhawks shirts/jerseys to work today and they even told everyone that they can try to make it to the parade.  Unfortunately since I'm leaving work early, I will not be participating in this celebratory parade/rally.  But I'm pretty sure if I stepped outside of my office building, I would hear the roar of the crowds of people who are there celebrating the Stanley Cup champs!

Don't worry, I'm watching it on nbcchicago.com!
 
Hope everyone has a great weekend!  You should follow me on instagram to see how my weekend pans out!

XO. Tarah

P.S. Go Blackhawks!

 

A Trip to the Lake and a Blackhawks Victory!!!

Happy Hump Day!

Life has been super busy for me lately.  I'm helping with last minute planning for my friend Maggie's Bridal Shower and Lingerie Shower this weekend so I've been non-stop running around the past couple of days.  Not to mention I have to work my other job tomorrow night and then I leave for the shower on Friday afternoon.  So basically I have tonight to buy Maggie's gift, finish the decorations, and bake some cookies.  Plus I also really need to do laundry and dishes.  Eeek.  That might have to wait until I get back next week.

This past weekend was relaxing.  I didn't realize how stressed out I would be this week or else I would have enjoyed it even more.  We left Saturday morning to head to the Lake in Davis, about a 2 hour drive.  The weather was less that perfect but we weren't going to let that ruin our time.  We stopped and picked up some snacks and beer and then arrived a little after noon.  We cracked open a couple of summer shandies and then headed out to the dock.  The water was freezing and I actually had to wear a sweater for most of the afternoon.  So we just enjoyed being outside by the water and played with Marley.

Vinnie's Aunt and Uncle arrived around 3ish and we decided to take the boat out for a joyride.  Marley came with us and was a little scared at first but he got used to it and then really loved it.  After a while we came back and started preparing dinner.  Vinnie's aunt made ribs on the grill.  I don't remember that last time I had ribs.  It's just not something I ever eat.  Holy cow.  These ribs were beyond delicious and we were all really hungry so we devoured every last bit.

 
After dinner we all sat down to watch Game 5 of the Stanley Cup championship.  The Blackhawks won and we did shots of tequila!  The amount of beer, gin and tonics, and tequila we consumed started adding up and we all decided to call it a night so that we could get up early and enjoy the next day.

Sunday morning we woke up and had waffles and fruit for breakfast.  Vinnie's aunt is the type to make sure no one goes hungry while she's around.  She's the best.

It was a sunny, beautiful day so we headed straight to the lake. 

One happy dog!

beer, energy drinks, and capri suns = :)

Vinnie's cousin showed up with some of her friends a little later and we all headed out on the boat.  Since the weather was nice, we were all able to go tubing.  It was so much fun but my arms are still sore 3 days later.  After tubing for a while we headed back to get some lunch.  We were planning on going back out on the boat but the temperature dropped, the clouds rolled in, and it started raining.  So we went back inside, showered, and headed on our way home a little later.

It was a super successful weekend at the lake and I hope we can go back soon!

How adorable is baby Vinnie!?

Monday night was game 6 of the Stanley Cup and by now everyone knows THE CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS WON!  It was one of the best and most exciting endings to a game I've ever seen.  2 goals in 17 seconds.  Just totally nuts!  Seriously, go google it.  I had to work but I wasn't too upset about it because the bar I work at was packed and went completely crazy when they won.  It was so awesome.  Chicago went insane and everyone is still celebrating and will be for the rest of the week.  There's even a parade on Friday and my work is letting us wear Blackhawks attire.  When Vinnie and I got home that night we did a celebratory shot, of course.

Makes me love this city even more!

I spent all of last night running around buying craft supplies and then making decorations for the bridal shower but I did come home to a very adorable, clean puppy dog.  He was a little smelly from being at the lake all weekend so Vinnie took him to get groomed.

And now that you're all caught up on my life happenings, have yourselves a lovely little Wednesday!  Mine will be filled with trips to Target, more crafting, and wine.

XO. Tarah



 

Friday 5

Alas!  It's finally Friday!  This makes me so happy I could just scream...but don't worry I won't.

I wore a dress to work today because this whole week it's been so hot out that when I sit outside to read my book for an hour I end up sweating so bad that I just feel gross by the time I go back to sit at my desk.  It's a good think I almost always remember to put on deodorant (almost).  Of course today it decides that it's going to rain so the weather dropped like 20 degrees and I've been freezing my booty off.  The weather literally rained on my parade.  Whatevs.  I won't let that ruin the fact that it's Friday and I actually have plans this weekend for once!

Moving on...here are the top 5 things about my week:

1.  It's officially Summer!

Today marks the first official day of summer.  Yay!  It's officially acceptable to eat mass amounts of watermelon and wear your swimsuit under your clothes everywhere you go (ya know, just in case you hit up the beach man).  Of course mother nature would decide to give us rain on this other wise lovely day.

2.  Upgrades!

In the words of Beyonce 'Lemme upgrade you'.  We've recently upgraded a few things in our apartment and this makes me super happy.  I finally feel like I'm becoming an adult.  We upgraded our TV from a 32" to a 55", we added the sports package and upgraded to HD (which, holy cow, makes a world of difference), we moved into the master bedroom that our roommate moved out of 2 months ago, where we both get a closet in our room (in our old bedroom there was only one closet and, clearly, I got it), and we finally invested in some artwork to put above our couch so that wall doesn't look naked anymore!

3.  Amazon

I just love Amazon.  I could shop for shit stuff I don't really need all day on that website.  I've been looking for a new phone case for my phone but I haven't really found any that I like that don't cost an insane amount.  I finally ventured over to Amazon and found a million phone cases that I want that were all a pretty decent price.  I settled for two.

 
4.  The Arcade Bar I went to last night

One thing I love about Chicago is that there are always fun, new, and exciting things to do!
 

Last night we had a little work outing for our department after we got off of work.  They do these every once in a while and most of the time I don't feel like going but I always end up having fun.  Last night's even was at an arcade bar called Emporium.  So basically it's just a bar that doubles as an arcade.  So you can get hammered while you play old school arcade games.  Sounds pretty legit right?  Well, I'm not really much of a 'gamer'.  I'm not good at video games, or really any other games.  I figured it would be kind of lame because I would suck and then I would want to quit and go home.  But since my work was paying for all the drinks, I figured I would at least stop by for a drink or 4.  I actually ended up having a lot of fun, even though I still definitely suck at games.  I stuck to the pinball machines mostly because you can't really suck at pinball games.  Well I ended up staying there with the people from my department pretty late and I didn't get home until around 10 and then I just chugged 3 glasses of water, took a Tylenol PM, and passed the eff out.  I woke up this morning and, surprisingly, haven't felt too bad all day.  Looks like I just found myself a new hangover cure!  

Emporium Arcade Bar 

1366 N Milwaukee Ave. 

Chicago, IL 60622

5.  Lake House

Last summer at the lake

Last but not least, I actually have plans to do something besides work this weekend!  Vinnie and I are heading to his grandpa's lake house early tomorrow morning and we're spending the rest of the weekend there with some of his family.  I'm really hoping the weather cooperates but I'm excited to just be away from the hustle and bustle of work, relaxing and spending time with my boyfriend for once since we don't get much time together as it is.  Fingers crossed for no rain!  I'm also hoping to actually get a little bit of a tan since it's now officially summer and my skin is just as pale as it was at Christmas time.

Linking up with those wonderful ladies today.

Hope you all have a fabulous, rain free weekend!

XO. Tarah


 

    

Currently...

Hello everyone!  Happy Thursday!  One day closer to the weekend!

It's been a while since I've done one of these 'Currently' posts and I do kind of enjoy doing these things so here it goes:

Currently I am...

Reading: I don't have a lot of time to read so it always takes me forever to finish a book.  Lately, since the weather has been nicer, I've been taking my lunch break to sit outside in the sun and read for an hour.  I am reading a book that I learned about from other blogs that I read daily.  It's a big 'blogger favorite' if you will.  It's called 'The Happiness Project' and it's written by Gretchen Rubin whom is a wonderful author and I already know I definitely want to read more books by her after I finish this one.  In this book, Gretchen basically just writes about how one day, out of the blue, she wondered if she could be happier.  She makes goals in order to be happier and spends one month on each goal for an entire year.  I'm about half way through this book right now and I'm really enjoying reading about her experiences and realizations as she test drives her theories about how to be happier.

The Happiness Project

Listening to: I love 'feel good' music.  The kind of music that makes you wiggle around in your desk chair while at work, or sing along to loudly while you're in your car driving home, or just full on dance to in the mirror while you're getting ready in the bathroom.  That's my favorite.  Lately I can't stop listening to 'Blurred Lines' by Robin Thicke, 'I'm Out' by Ciara ft. Nicki Minaj, and 'Get Lucky' by Daft Punk ft. Pharrell Williams.  There are several others that I'm loving but these are the three that I keep replaying.

Loving: Well since I obviously can't stop talking about it, the weather!  It's been sunny and gorgeous outside all week and I am definitely loving it!

I'm also loving the new iPhone cases I ordered that just came in the mail yesterday! 

I haven't gotten a new phone case since Christmas and was really craving one.  Thankfully Amazon always comes through when you're looking for cute accessories that don't break the bank.

I'm also loving that the Blackhawks won last night and tied the series.  It was a great game that they ended up winning in overtime, which forced me to stay awake late, but it was worth it.

Now they're coming back to Chicago for the next 2 games.

Vinnie was gone dog sitting for his Uncle last night so I missed him but that just means extra cuddles from my sweet doggie.  I'm obviously loving him, as always.

Also, I'm loving Snapple Facts.  

 
Wearing: summer clothes! Finally!  Sandals, shorts, dresses, tank tops...

I'm loving these cheetah print wedges that I just got from Target.  I also just bought 2 dresses from Fiore Boutique thanks to one of my favorite bloggers Caitlin from Southern Curls and Pearls.

Both are adorable and I'm planning on wearing them for a couple of my best friend's wedding festivities that are coming up (bridal shower and rehearsal dinner) so you can be sure to see pictures after I wear them.  

I'm actually currently wearing a polka dot blouse that I got from American Eagle 3 years ago.  I got inspired by polka dots after I put my new polka dot case on my iPhone last night.

Polka Shirt: American Eagle (old), Sweater: Gap, Black Skinnies: Gap, Sandals: Target, Purse: Kenneth Cole

Looking forward to: this weekend, specifically Saturday and Sunday.  Vinnie and I are heading to his Grandpa's lake house early Saturday morning to spend the weekend with some of his family.  I'm praying for sunshine!

At the lake last summer.

Cooking/Baking: Unfortunately I've been pretty busy lately and most of my meals have consisted of a quick salad thrown together, mac and cheese, or take out.  And that stinks because I do love to cook/bake.  Vinnie and I did grill Italian Sausage with onions and green peppers last weekend though.

I have recently pinned a few recipes that look amazing and I'm definitely planning on making these soon.  Go check out my 'Yummy' Pinterest Board!  I think I might try to make these delicious looking Strawberry Shortcake Rice Krispie Treats to bring to the lake this weekend.  Give me a rice krispie treat any day and make me a happy girl!

Thanking: my lucky stars that I actually have a Saturday off and can spend some time relaxing with my love and my dog this weekend!

I'm also really looking forward to star gazing this weekend.  One thing I really miss about living in the country is the beautiful sky at night.  I spent many summers star gazing in my front yard.  Now that I live in the big ol' city of Chicago, it's not often that I see stars.

Too da loo!

XO. Tarah