Celebrating America

Happy Fourth of July! In honor of our nation's birthday, I thought I'd share one of my favorite "American movie moments" with you. This clip is from The Sandlot -- I just love the version of America the Beautiful by Ray Charles and the looks on the faces of the kids while they watch the fireworks. My face will probably look like that tonight as I watch the sky light up! I'm looking forward to celebrating with my husband, Hannah and her guy Tyler. What are your plans for celebrating today?

   

How does Chicago celebrate the 4th?

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Chicago friends, I'd love to hear how you celebrate the 4th of July here in the windy city! This will be my first 4th here in the city. Do people actually go out to see fireworks? I've been told that Navy Pier has a spectacular show, and have also heard that you can view fireworks from the beach. I'm looking forward to hearing your suggestions!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Aloha!

I've been a horrible blogger lately, tsk tsk! For those of you that don't know, I write another blog as part of my job -- The Finer Things. Between blogging over there, designing emails and site graphics for my consulting job, designing and creating beautiful wedding invitations for my husband's cousin and his fiance and getting ready for our Hawaii trip, I just haven't had the time or energy to post over here at Darling Notes. Shame! Before I say bon voyage and depart for Hawaii tomorrow, I thought I'd share a few pics that I've taken on my phone recently:

My brother in law and his girlfriend visited Chicago for Easter weekend. We checked out the sites of Chicago and ate a ton of food. I cooked Easter dinner for 6 people. While they were here, we dined all over the city, including dinner at q (which was amazing!) and brunch at Cafe Babareeba (create your own bloody mary bar!)

A sneak peek at the invitations I designed and created for my husband's cousin and his bride-to-be. We're looking forward to their wedding in June!

On a whim I had my hairdresser give me long bangs. I love them.

Bean has been extra mischievous lately. I folded all of the throw blankets and she had to make a bed on top of them. Somehow, she always finds the most comfortable spot in the apartment to take her naps.

We leave for Hawaii tomorrow morning, and we could not be more excited! I am guessing that my phone should work on the islands, so I should be able to post a few photos on Instagram. So, aloha for now!

Catching Up

I feel like life always gets busier this time of the year. People are out and about, and the city feels more energized -- I love it! The quiet and cozy winter gave way to spring summer temperatures this week, with the high reaching 82 the last two days! The sliding doors were open all week long to let the fresh air in, and I was able to enjoy some time in the sun on our deck. Since Darling Notes has been a little quiet, I figured a little catch-up post was in order.

1. Did you know that I'm a paper person? I'm head over heels for nice papers, pretty stationery and invitation design. I've been working on my husband's cousin's wedding invitation ensemble. The bride selected a pretty shimmering pink and green palette with starfish and shell motifs. We're in the design process right now, but I have no doubt they'll be beautiful!

2. The warmer temps have me thinking about flip-flops and being barefoot. I need a new polish color for the spring, and I'm thinking about this strawberry pink color from Essie. I'll definitely need a pedicure before our Hawaii trip.

3. I could not resist posting this photo of a pug in a bowtie in front of a ship. I mean, is he cute or what? Sweet Paul is hosting a giveaway for your choice of the bowtie or flower collar from Etsy shop Rover. I'm hoping to win the flowered collar for Bean.

4. Have you been keeping up with The Everygirl? I'm loving all of their daily features, and today's post is no exception. Click over to see two pretty and delicious drinks for St. Patrick's Day. Since this is our first St. Patrick's Day in Chicago, the husband and I are going to head downtown tomorrow morning to watch the river be dyed green. Apparently it gets VERY green, and I think I need to see that (maybe with an Irish coffee in hand?)

5. Last Friday, my old iPhone 3GS jumped right out of my hand onto the sidewalk (imagine!) and the screen sadly shattered. Although the phone was sort-of working for a few days, it took a turn for the worse and cracked a little more on Wednesday night. . Since it was over 3 years old and I was eligible for an upgrade, I headed to AT&T on Thursday morning and selected the 4S. IT'S AMAZING. I should tell you that it's currently being held in a massive Otterbox case that is probably bomb-proof. Knowing how clumsy I am, I'm willing to carry around the phone in a bulky case to keep it safe.

Have a great weekend and a very happy (and lucky!) St. Patrick's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Last night, a few of the girls gathered for a little Valentine's Day fun! Yummy flatbread pizza, apps, lots of sweets, champagne cocktails, sangria and chatting -- it was LOVEly! I loved celebrating the holiday with Tess, Hannah, and Jackie!

Happy Holidays to You!

Image source

After a surprisingly shorter car ride than we had anticipated (12 hrs.!), the Mr. and I arrived in Pennsylvania last night. We were greeted by family, smiles, hugs and holiday treats. It's so great to be home for the holidays. I'll keep my post short so that I can get back to the festivities, but I wanted to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas! Enjoy the time spent with family and friends!

I also wanted to send out a huge holiday thank you to Kristin and Megan of the Bon Bon Rose Girls. They have selected me as their Freshly Picked Rosebud of the Week! I'm so excited, and wanted to share their post with you {here}. If you aren't aware of their blog, I encourage you to pop over and see all the fun posts they share daily. In addition to great blogging, they have put together an amazing network of bloggers called Rosebuds. How great, right? Thanks again, ladies!

A Feature & Holiday Cheer

Today, Alison of Long Distance Loving is featuring yours truly and the Mr. as part of her ongoing series {Distance Makes the Heart Grow Fonder}! I am so thrilled to be a part of her series. You can read the whole post here. For those of you who don't know, my husband and I have known one another since kindergarten. It's true! The 4th grade class photo on Long Distance Loving today proves it. A huge thanks to Alison for including us in the series, and putting together such a lovely post! Be sure to check out her blog for more great posts!

Last night, Danielle had a small holiday gathering at her place (which is fabulously decorated!) Liz and Danielle made yummy cranberry margaritas and a very festive baked brie. Alaina, Taylor, Anne and Farrah were there to join in the Christmas cheer. We ate lots of other goodies, played Apples to Apples and, of course, swooned over Buddy in his Santa suit.

Today I'm finishing up some work and getting packed up for our trip back east for Christmas. The Mr., the pup and I will be in the car for a solid 12-13 hours tomorrow. How many times do you think I can get away with listening to the N*Sync and Glee Christmas albums? We haven't been back east since moving to Chicago in July, so we are really looking forward to seeing the family!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!

An Adirondack Christmas

Have you ever been clicking away on Pinterest, and then 10 minutes later find yourself on a new blog or tumblr and wonder how on earth you got there? That's how I stumbled across these photos of an amazingly gorgeous Adirondack cabin in its full Christmas glory. This place would make the perfect getaway for a warm and cozy Christmas with the family, don't you think? According to the post, that's exactly what Barney's fashion director Amanda Brooks and her family use the cabin for. What fun!

Ornament Traditions

Our tree is full of special ornaments. My family has a few different ornament traditions -- some that started when I was just a baby.

My dad has given my brother and I the Hallmark daughter or son ornament each year. It's always exciting to see what the ornament looks like each Christmas. I'm hoping to continue this tradition when my husband and I have children.

My aunts and uncles have always given me ornaments. When I was younger, everyone called me Jenni, so there are many fun ornaments with "Jenni" written on them. To this day, they still give me a new ornament every year.

One of the more recent traditions is giving a reindeer ornament to my husband. His family typically had a themed tree, so when we had our first Christmas together, the tree was overflowing with just my ornaments. I felt bad about that, so I gave him a cute reindeer. Every year since then, he has received a new one, and is slowly building his collection!

Do you have any ornament traditions?

Presents for your Pup

A question for all of the dog lovers... do you buy Christmas presents for your pup? This year, the Mr. and I purchased one toy for our Boston Terrier, Bean (the rope reindeer shown below!) One of our relatives was surprised that we didn't buy more for her. Do dogs really know it's Christmas, after all? Of course Bean will sport a decorative jingle bell collar on Christmas day, but I'm pretty sure she'll be oblivious to the holiday. She'll just be so happy to be around family and food.

If you do purchase presents for your pooch, here are a few great ideas from some of my favorite stores for pets:

Since we celebrated Christmas just a bit early before heading back to the east coast to be with family, we gave Bean her rope reindeer from Barker & Meowsky. She LOVES it!

1. Cotton rope tug toss toy from Mungo & Maud

2. Hemp striped bone toy from Mungo & Maud

3. Squeaky ornament toy from Pet Smart

4. Cotton rope reindeer from Barker & Meowsky

5. Rubber snowball toy from Barker & Meowsky

6. Reindeer soft toys from Harry Barker

Our Home for the Holidays

Aqua & Emerald Christmas Palette

I'm loving this modern holiday palette. It's so fresh and cheerful! I typically stick to red, green and silver when it comes to decorating our place for Christmas, but aqua, blue and emerald look so dreamy (esp. with that white tree!)

Tiny tree, Wreath, Large tree

Behold, the Thanksgiving Menu!

I mentioned earlier that I am hosting Thanksgiving dinner for the very first time this year (eek!) I've always wanted to host Thanksgiving, so I'm very excited about the preparations and actual event! It'll be a very small crowd, but I'm going all out. Why not, right? I just love Thanksgiving. With one week to go, the menu is set -- and I'm sharing it with you today!

Thanksgiving Menu

Turkey with Herbed Butter Rub

Our fresh turkey has been pre-ordered from Whole Foods. I made a "practice turkey" last week, and am so glad that I did. The practice turkey was dry brined and rubbed with an herbed butter. I'll definitely be using the herbed butter technique, but skipping the dry brining (the meat was a little too dry for us.)

Homemade Gravy

I made this gravy when I cooked the "practice turkey", and it was phenomenal -- hands down, the best gravy I've ever tasted (and the Mr. agreed!) After a few shudders as I had to handle the giblets, the process for making the gravy was very simple. In my opinion, one of the reasons why it tasted to good was that the homemade broth that was used was simmered for 2 hours. I also got to use my new fat separator in the process -- such a great tool!

Simple Stuffing

No Thanksgiving meal is complete without stuffing. I'm not a huge fan of stuffing that was cooked inside of the bird, so I'm opting for this simple recipe instead. I plan on drenching the stuffing with gravy!

Herbed Mashed Potatoes

With all the homemade gravy that I'll be making, we need one more thing to add it to. Mashed potatoes are easy and tasty, and in my book, a must on any holiday table.

Sweet Potato Casserole

My Mom and I made this last year for Thanksgiving, and it was so delicious. It's one of my favorite seasonal dishes -- so sweet and yummy! Who doesn't like marshmallows?

Green Bean Casserole

Since we need to add a veggie to the mix, Green Bean Casserole has been added to the menu. The crunchy onions on top are healthy, right? Ha!

Cranberry Sauce -- right out of the can! No shame here, folks.

Pecan Pie

The Mr. prefers Pecan over Pumpkin any day, so we'll be indulging for dessert.

Plumpjack Wine

We have a bottle of wine that has been aging for a few years, plus a bottle that we picked up on our recent trip to Napa. Both are from Plumpjack, which is one of our favorite wineries.

To add a little flair to the table, I invested in a few cloth napkins from Crate&Barrel, and plan to make a small centerpiece of gourds. If I have some time to be crafty during the next week, I might make these cute squirrel place holders -- I mean, how cute are they?

I'm absolutely full and exhausted after typing out this menu. I think I'll go take a nap.

What's on your menu?

November Necessities

It's hard to believe that it's already November. The air is cold, homes are cozy, and the holiday spirit is creeping in! Here are a few necessities to get you through the month of November:

1. A soft snood will keep you warm when the winds start to blow.

2. Wrap your hands around a Gingerbread Latte. It'll also bring you into the holiday spirit!

3. Lounge around in cozy faux fur slippers all day long.

4. Cold winds do not mean fashion sacrifices - simply pull on a pair of wool tights with a cute skirt.

5. Keep hands warm while you're on the go with a fun pair of gloves.

6. Give your home some extra warmth with knitted pillows.

Halloween Link-Up with Breakfast At Toast

Today I'm linking up with Danielle over at Breakfast at Toast for some Halloween fun! Perhaps one of my favorite parts of Halloween is the fact that candy is EVERYWHERE. That makes it alright to eat all.the.time, right? Hardly... but I do indulge in a few more sweets than usual in the days leading up to Halloween.

It's a bit of a bummer to be too old to trick-or treat (free candy!), but these candy bar inspired cupcakes might be the perfect alternative for grown-ups who still have a sweet tooth!

Cupcake images via Food Network

Almond Joy, Butterfinger, Peppermint Patty, Snickers via Wikipedia

Be sure to head over to Breakfast at Toast for Danielle's Halloween Week posts and link-up!

Currently Loving... Glittered Tableware

This glittered tableware, including tart servers, a salad set and teaspoons, could not be more perfect for holiday entertaining. The sparkling and luxe look will definitely add glam and style to your table. I'd love a set of each different serving piece, in each color!

Currently Loving... Thanksgiving Tables

Over the weekend, my friend and I stopped in West Elm to check out some goodies for her new place. Believe it or not, it was the first time I had ever been inside a West Elm store -- I was in Heaven! As soon as we walked in, before us stood a gorgeous table staged for a Thanksgiving feast. The dishes, the colors, the styling -- all perfect. I wanted to take the entire table home with me. While I could kick myself for not snapping a few pics of the table settings, these images from their site will suffice:

This Thanksgiving will be the first time that my husband and I will be away from the family. My brother-in-law will be in Chicago to visit, but we'll be without the rest of the fam. It will also be the first Thanksgiving dinner that I will be cooking, and I couldn't be more excited. It'll be a small feast for 4 people, but that's probably all I can handle for my first try. I might have to pick up some of those cute "gobble" plates with the little turkeys to accent the table. Have you ever cooked your own Thanksgiving or holiday feast?

A Nice Holiday Weekend

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I hope that you all had a lovely long weekend! We had out of town guests arrive late on Thursday night and stay through Monday morning. Since it was their first time in Chicago, we braved Friday's heat and humidity and headed down to Millennium Park to snap a few photos at the Bean, see Michigan Avenue and walk State Street. We then ventured to the West Loop to check out the French Market and escape the sun for a little while. A few macaroons later, we were headed back home. We dined at Paris Club that night, and then went out for some late night fun. Saturday's beach plans were dampened by the rain, but we had a great time at Hop Leaf in Andersonville later that evening. On Sunday, we went sailing on another friend's boat, and then exposed our guests to Pequod's deep dish pizza. Yum. The insanely long line at the Hancock building prevented us from sipping a cocktail while checking out the views that night, but we made a stop for fro-yo on the way back to Lincoln Park, which perked all of us up. The guests left on Monday morning, and the Mr. and I headed out to Whole Foods in Lincoln Park. Since the weather was crisp and sunny and perfectly fall-like, we walked. It was our first time there, and we loved it -- we lunched and shopped, then headed home. An icky, congested cold has set in since then, so I sniffled while the Mr. made a huge pot of gravy (sauce for those of us who aren't Italian!) Today we're all back to work, even if that includes a side of tissues and tea. It was such a nice holiday weekend, and a great un-official end to the summer season.

Memorial Day Weekend

Image sources, clockwise from top left:

Beach umbrella, Beach, Bangle, Ferris Wheel

Wherever you’re spending your Memorial Day weekend, I hope the sun is shining and there’s lots of laughter! This is the first Memorial Day weekend in many years that I will not be at the shore with my toes in the sand, so this is what I’ll be daydreaming about. I’ll be spending the time alongside family and friends celebrating the 60th Wedding Anniversary of my grandparents. Congrats to them on 60 wonderful years, two great children, and five lovely grandkids!

Pretty and Patriotic

Memorial Day is just around the corner. Can you believe it snuck up on us so quickly? I feel like it was just the holiday season -- wow. I typically spend my Memorial Day weekend at the shore, but this year, the family will be celebrating my grandparent's 60th wedding anniversary with a party, and otherwise just keeping it low-key. Obviously, I'll be sporting red, white and blue on Monday, though! How about you? Do you dress for the holiday? Inspired by a patriotic palette, here are some ultra casual ideas for looks that would be perfect for a BBQ, the beach, or small get-togethers with family and friends:

Red tank + blue and white striped shorts + neutral wedges

White tunic + worn-in jeans +  red wedges

Red sun hat + sunglasses + white tank + blue cropped pants