DIY flower Wreath

So this summer I was inspired to make my own flower wreath.  There are a lot on Etsy but they are rather pricey, so I thought why not try it myself?

I was inspired by this one...https://www.thehowtomom.com/diy-tulip-wreath

I purchased a green rim from the dollar Tree
Then I purchased fake peonies and roses in the same hues - I couldn’t find the tulips anywhere!
I wove the flowers together and used a glue gun.

Here is my finished product!

I liked it on our front door but it was a little too small so I’m going to give it to my grandma who is just getting home from the hospital!

Let me know if you try this fun project!

Shooting Range

So I have shot a gun one other time I life and that was a shotgun. This was a little different. We recently headed out to the 'burbs to Maxon shooting range. My husband got his Grandfathers old gun for Christmas and wanted to try it out. Armed with a Foid card, we went to the range. Unfortunately, there were no cameras allowed at all inside of the shop and range. But I did get to wear a pretty cool pair of hot pink ear guards and snazzy glasses. Here is a pick of my target!

Not too bad. I was the only woman there and I felt like a bada**. Will I do it again? Maybe. Was it a cool experience? Absolutely. 

Have you ever gone to a shooting range before? What did you think? 

XO,

GG

New School year, new decor

So I haven't posted in forever and I apologize! I am starting a new school year in a couple weeks and I'm trying to get excited about it.  I think I'm going to try a few new things to spruce up my work environment.  I share my classroom with 4 other adults so it can be difficult to have our own space.

Here are some ideas I had..

1. New schnazzy desk items.
I saw this picture on Pinterest and there was no link to anything but I think it is totally my style.  I found the gold stapler here.  And the Diptyque here.   I think I can find the rest at one of my favorite stores, Homegoods.

2. Flowers.  

Peonies are my favorite and I know I can't have those all the time but they make me happy and why not bring some fresh ones to work every Monday? 

3. Contact Paper around my Desk.

This might be my biggest adventure yet, my desk at school is metal, old and boring so I had an idea to cover it in Contact paper like this, or wrapping paper? We'll see how it goes! ( source here) 

What have you done to jazz up your work environment? 

XO,

GG

Euro-Trip 2014

My Christmas present from my husband was a trip to Europe! We decided to go over spring break and are going to London and Paris.  We are going for 10 days and I could not be more excited.  I have been planning for weeks and created an itinerary planned and a packing list. ( The two things I am most concerned about :)) I did a ton of research, read a lot on trip advisor and bought 3 travel books.  I also couldn't find very much out there about what to pack!

Here is our itinerary and what I decided to pack.  I will keep you posted on how the packing and itinerary turns out!

Itinerary
London- We are staying in the Kensington Area

Saturday

Arrive at Heathrow around 10:30am, Travel to hotel, check in, freshen up,  Tower of London, Westminister Abbey, Dinner somewhere in the West End

Sunday

 slept in, wake up and grab the bus tour, Cabinet war room, Churchill museum

Monday

- National Gallery, Nottinghill,  Leicester square for theatre tickets, Dinner  in SoHo

Tuesday

- Changing of the Guard- Buckingham palace @ 11:30, High tea at the Dorchester, Tate Modern Museum, Theatre, Dinner at Sampson's 

Wednesday

Check out west end, Covenant Garden, Trafalgar square: walking tour, Eurrail leaves at 5:30, arrive in Paris 

Paris- We are staying in the Champs de Mars area near the Eiffel Tower

Thursday

- Historic Paris walk ( AM ),Louvre ( allow 3 hours), Dinner reservation

Friday

Versailles, casual dinner out, could stay out there or come back and wander

Saturday

Notre Dame, Arc de Triumph, Explore, shopping, Muse de Orsay , River Cruise 

Sunday 

Flea Market in the AM ( have map and directions), Rue de Clare walk ( grab supplies for lunch, Take it to picnic on the Eiffel lawn)  Go up to the eiffel tower, watch the sunset, glass of champagne, late dinner, drinks in Place du Trocadero or Rue de Clare

Monday

- Left Bank, any other areas we want to go back to, Airport and go home @ 2

Packing List

- 3 pairs of pants; jeans, black pants, leggings

- 2 sweaters, black and gray

- 1 cotton midi dress, black

- 1 vest, 1 trench coat

- 3 scarves; to add some color to some outfits

-3 tops, black long sleeve, 2 diff. striped tops 

- 1 skirt ( black)  and pair of tights

-3 pairs of shoes, Toms, Low heeled boots and tennis shoes

Have you ever done this trip? What did you do and what did you pack?? 

                                                                                XO,

                                                                                GG

Chicago Restaurant Week

Earlier this month, we had Chicago restaurant week in the city that loves food.

I usually look forward to this week. It's a chance to go to my favorite restaurants and try some of their newest creations or try somewhere new! 

This year we did...

Ruth Chris: I love their filets cooked in butter. I know this is a chain and some people ( including my husband) might snub their noses but I really like it! Everything was delicious ( unfortunately I forgot to take pictures! )  Downside; tons of people, it was very crowded and it felt like our server was on autopilot. 

RPM: I had been here once and it was fantastic. I was looking forward to trying it again. We went with a big group and I was the only one that did the prix fix.  It worked out because we wound up ordering a lot of different things.  The lobster bruschetta was by far my favorite.   Their pasta is fantastic and if you ever in doubt, I would give that a try.  Downside; we had to wait for over 25 minutes for our table with a reservation and I also had a pork dish which had more fat than meat. 

Tortoise Club:  This was our first visit. I had only heard a few snippets about it and sometimes that is the best way to go into a new experience.   It was very cool location with traditional decor.  They had a live jazz band playing which really added to the experience.   We did one prix fix menu and then the rest of us ordered off the menu.  Our friends had sea bass and trout and they liked their dishes. We also had a salted carmel dessert, very good.   I had a shrimp polenta gumbo and that was excellent.  Very spicy but good. Downside; a little pricey for what you get.

Pictured: salted carmel, shrimp gumbo.

Overall a great experience and a great excuse to get out in this freezing weather and enjoy good food with friends.  

Did you try any new restaurants for Restaurant Week? 

XO,

GG

Crock Pot Pulled Pork

So I have made many meals in the crock pot, especially with this cold weather we are having!  We  were hosting friends for dinner and I wanted to do a Southern pulled pork recipe.  My Dad makes an amazing pulled pork in the crock pot so I asked him for the recipe.  He walked me through it over the phone.  It turned out fantastic!

Here's the recipe and my step by step, Enjoy!

Dad's Spicy Carolina Pulled Pork Recipe

1 bottle of Pork Rub ( I used Stubbs, only enough to coat the meat) 

1 cup of red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons of Worschesthire Sauce

1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard

2 teaspoons of cracked red pepper

1 tablespoon of brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon powdered cayenne pepper ( can leave out if you don't like it to have a little spice) 

2 red onions, quartered

1 bottle of dark beer ( I used a porter) 

5 lb. pork shoulder ( I used boneless) 

1. Rub the pork with the pork rub, then wrap it tightly in saran wrap and refrigerate for 3-4 hours.  ( I did it overnight) 

2. Place the quartered onions in the bottom of the crock pot.  Unwrap the roast and place on top of onions.

3. Drizzle the red wine vinegar over the roast, and the bottle of beer.  

4. Combine brown sugar, worsteshire, cracked rd pepper, cayenne pepper and mustard.  Distribute evenly in the crock pot and over meat.

5. Cook on low for 7-8 hours

6. Remove the meat and onions to a cutting board.  Remove any skin. Using 2 forks, pull and shred the pork.  Strain out or pour out most of the liquid in the pot.  Chop the onions and mix into the shredded meat. Place it back into the pot and leave on warm until ready to serve. 

7. Serve on warm buns ( I used Pretzel rolls) and top with your favorite sauce.  

Our favorite is Montgomery Inn, my husband is from Cincinnati and that stuff is amazing! However, my Dad recommended the Carolina gold BBQ sauce from Trader Joes so I put out both for people to choose from.  Normally I am 100% the Montgomery Inn but the other sauce was DELICIOUS!

I served it with Jalepeno cheddar corn bread  from Lemon Sugar and Baked Mac and Cheese from Delectable Edibles.   For dessert, a homemade trifle. ( The picture below was stolen from the internet, I forgot to take a picture of mine). 

Mom's Trifle Recipe

1 angel food cake

2 bananas (sliced) 

1 pckg of cool whip ( I used fat free) 

2 pkgs. of cheesecake pudding ( I made it with skim milk)

1 can of condensed milk ( her recipe called for making the pudding with that but I felt like it was too fatty so I didn't use it.) 

1 package of strawberries ( sliced)

1 package of blueberries

Make the pudding first and let it sit. 

Layer ingredients in the trifle bowl. 

Rip or quarter pieces of Angel food cake to coat the bottom. 

Cover that with the pudding 

Then an even amt. of strawberries, blueberries and banana slices

Top with a layer of cool whip. 

Repeat! Twice :) 

What's your favorite BBQ sauce? Do you have a favorite southern speciality?

XO,
GG

Eataly Review

First off, let me begin by saying if you haven't visited Eataly yet you need to.  I went twice over the holiday.  We ate a million different types of cheese, meats and wine, my idea of Heaven.

We ate at the Piazza, and had the risotto balls, oysters, giant cheese and meat platter and 2 different types of red wine.

Hand rolled pasta. If you don't believe it is hand rolled, you can just watch the person rolling it, amazing! At first I was a little skeptical of the price, but after tasting it I really felt like I could taste the difference. 

We even purchased our meal ingredients here. Fresh Atlantic salmon, olive bread, olive oil and pasta. Everything tasted fresh and delicious. 

I will be returning here again for a unique grocery and eating experience! Check it out! 

Have you been here yet? What's your favorite Italian dish? 

XO,

GG

Alex and Ani

I first heard about Alex and Ani when visiting one of my very good friends in Boston. She was wearing these really pretty bracelets and I asked her what they were. She was shocked that living in Chicago,I had never heard of them. The first chance we got, we went to their store on Newberry St. and explored. They had a huge selection of bracelets with many different charms and stones. See their stuff  here  Alex and Ani 

Started on the East Coast their mantra is:

Enlighten • Enchant • Empower

Beautiful pieces for every occasion that are truly personal and made with positive energy.

Each bracelet is handmade in the U. S. And each charm means something. I have since bought many "stacks" ( 3 or more bangles) and I love wearing them. My favorite are the charms and their meanings. 

Here are a few selections of how I usually wear mine.

If you are local to Chicago you can purchase them here at Nordstrom or here at Bloomingdales. 

What do you think?? Do you have you a favorite? 

XO,

GG

Winter Fashionable Footwear

So now that it is officially freezing cold here in Chicago and we have had our first polar snow storm I thought I would model some of my favorite winter footwear.  These 4 are my favorite go-to's every winter.

1.  Uggs
The old staple.  I've had this particular pair since 2003 and they're still going strong! I recommend the "Ultimate" since they have lasted way longer than any other Ugg boot I have owned.

2. Bogs
Found these through the kids that I teach.  I noticed that a lot of them had these funky looking boots, and none of their toes were cold after recess.  Win! So I checked out the brand name and bought myself a pair!   I love them, they're sort of stylish and keep me warm and waterproof in up to -18 degrees!

3. Sorel's
As if I needed another pair...I could justify these because we were going to CO and the Bears game.  Good excuse right? These Joan of Arctic boots are really cute.  Everyone I saw in Breckinridge had a pair and I think they're the grown up version of snow boots.  I love the fur,  they keep you warm and they're wide enough for your thickest socks.

4. Duck Boots
These are throwbacks to an old classic.  This link is to a boot with a bit of a different style than I have, probably because mine are older, but you get the idea.  They are toasty in the winter, but I like wearing them in the rain too.  Perfect for that slushy Spring day when it's still cold enough to need boots.

Which are your favorite? What do you like to wear when its cold out? 

                                                   XO,

                                                   GG

Christmas Festivities

So now that Christmas is over I wanted to share a few items that I made for my family.  I hosted my and my husbands family and since this was our second year doing this I felt like I had to outdo myself and make it different than last year. 

Over the course of 5 days we made quite a few meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner.  However Christmas day was truly an extravaganza!

Our breakfast was a cinnamon crumb cake, Paula Deen's french toast casserole, yum, fruit salad with vanilla pudding, fresh bagels and pomegranate mimosas.  

I made quite a few appetizers in between breakfast and dinner to keep everyone from getting too hungry.  I made a baked spinach, artichoke and feta dip with pita chips, roasted tomatoes with fresh basil, mozzarella, basically caprese on a stick.  I also made a roasted cranberry crostini which was to die for. I forgot to take a picture of my Cheese Ball. It was awesome and I made it twice during the holiday season.  

For dinner my brother-in-law helped me set the table.  He is beyond talented.  We used floating candles with fresh pine, cranberries and cinnamon sticks.  I used a plaid tablecloth and a burlap runner.  ( If you read my last post you would see I used burlap with everything :)) We used our Kate Spade China plates, 2 different patterns, and then 2 different napkins.  We folded the napkins with bakers twine, candy canes and cinnamon sticks.  

For the dishes, I forgot to take a picture of the delicious honey baked ham. We also made roasted brussel sprouts, crushed walnuts, blue cheese and olive oil.  Then a quinoa salad with pomegranate, fresh mint, cucumber, and feta.  Then the classic mashed potatoes. 

Lastly for dessert, again, forgot to take a picture, Ooops.   I made amazing peppermint brownies, peanut butter cookies and a no bake cheesecake.  

That's all I've got for Christmas. Did you make anything wonderful for your holiday?  I hope everyone had an amazing holiday and all the best for a happy, healthy, new year!

XO,

GG 

Christmas Decorations

I love the Christmas Season and decorating for my family is one of my favorite things to do.  Our tree was inspired by the Pottery Barn Catalog.  We got the catalog in October, ridiculous, and I thought, "this is what I want our tree to look like this year, but I can make it my way". 

 I used burlap that I had purchased and cut it into 5 inch strips.  Then wrapped it around the tree. It actually doesn't go all the way around but I don't think you can tell.  Then I used the leftover strip to make a bow for the top.  I really like how it turned out.

I was going to stop there but I had some extra burlap.....  So I decided I wanted to make a banner and a table runner.  I went on Etsy and saw some ideas for different banners.  I decided to do a hybrid of two different ones.  Here was my inspiration

I cut out the burlap using a pattern made from cardboard.  Then I made the stencils for the letters of "Be Merry".   I used Martha Stewart fabric paint for the letters and polka dots and then used spray tacky glue to stick it on the ribbon.     I kind of like how mine turned out better! 

What do you think?? What do your Christmas decorations look like??

                                                            XO,

                                                            GG 

Seasonal Recipes

We have been hosting guests a lot this season and it has given me a chance to perfect some new fall recipes. I thought I would share them with you. They all turned out really well!

Pumpkin pancakes

Ingredients
1 Container of multi-grain pancake mix from trader joes
1 can of organic pumpkin
1/2 tbsp. of nutmeg
1/2 tbsp. of cinnamon

Add in the ingredients from the box ( 1 egg for waffles and 2 eggs for pancakes) as well as oil ( I used coconut oil instead.
Combine all ingredients in a bowl
Pour them out as pancakes or waffles

Glazed sweet potatoes

http://www.reynoldskitchens.com/easy-recipes/recipe-items/honey-roasted-sweet-potatoes/

Above is the link to the recipe, they were so good, almost a dessert rather than a side.

• Ingredients
• 4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup of honey
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 
2. Spread the potatoes out on a cookie sheet lined with Reynolds® Parchment Paper. 
3. Sprinkle the oil, honey, cinnamon, salt and pepper over the potatoes and cook for 30 minutes.
4. Once they are cooled scoop them onto a serving dish and devour!  

Fall apple medley  

Ingredients

4 apples ( I used red delicious) chopped with skin on 

1 tbsp. of cinnamon
1 tbsp. of nutmeg
1 tsp. of vanilla 

Combine all apples, nutmeg and cinnamon in a skillet.  Cook on medium heat until the apples are to your liking.  ( I like mine well done) and then add the vanilla.  Toss apples around until they are coated in vanilla.


Enjoy!  

Hot Chocolate Race

So I ran my very first half-marathon last year....the Chicago Spring Half Marathon.  I am NOT a runner, and even after running it I still don't really consider myself a runner.   I decided to run initially to challenge myself to do something I have never done before and wanted to do something physically exhausting. Since that race, I have not done a lot of running.  So the Hot Chocolate 5k/15k was coming up and I thought, why not do another race?  I decided to do the 5k only, and the decision was 2-fold. My friends were doing it who don't generally run, and my husband was doing who NEVER runs.  In anticipation I did run the 3.1 miles twice two weeks before, and then the week before.  I was surprised to find that my body was able to get back in the groove of running with relative ease.  It was not very challenging to discover my rhythm again.  The day of the race was a beautiful, clear day.  Chilly, but no rain or snow to be seen.



























I have to say it turned out really well! I am pleased with the experience overall and excited to have run my first ever race with my husband.  It didn't hurt that the end of the race had a delicious chocolate fondue and fun things to dip into it.  It was the best end of a race I've ever seen and the smell was amazing!

Have you ever done anything as a team with your spouse or significant other? 

                                                          XO,

                                                          GG

Follow me on Bloglovin

Bloglovin is a new tool to follow your favorite blogs.  I am just beginning to use it and understand it. Here is a link to try and download the mobile app.   Have you tried it out yet?


<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/11163851/?claim=hprud7zpk8p">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Dancing like nobody is watching

I am a dancer, correction, I was a dancer. I have danced my entire life....until I graduated from college and stopped. When I moved back to Chicago I started doing all sorts of things and dancing just wasn't one of them. I have tried over the last 5 years half-heartedly, to get back into it but I hadn't found anywhere that I really loved. I took several classes; some that I could have done in my sleep,  and several advanced classes that I was way too embarrassed to ever go back to.  Cue, All About Dance in Old Town.

This was one place I had never tried but had heard awesome things. Friends of mine who were on dance team with me in high school and college had recommended it to me many times but I never got around to trying it, until last night. I'll admit I was nervous, I was wondering if I had lost all my skills. Deep breath...

I took the adult cardio class. This was a combination of excersice with abs, arms and stretching. Then we learned a dance routine quickly and practiced it over and over to different tempos and new hit songs. I had a blast! And bonus, I am sore today! Not only am I excited to be back at dancing but I got an awesome workout in the process. It has inspired me not to put off something I love doing again. Wednesday is a ballet class, one of my all time favorite types of dance, and I think I'm going to try it next!

Have you ever re-ignited your passion for something??  

                            XO,

                            GG

Fall into fashion finds

So if you're like me, you absolutely love summer but are looking forward to Fall fashions. I had the opportunity to visit the new Fashion Outlets of Chicago to score some new items for Fall. Overall I was really impressed with the mall. It is clean, well organized and parking couldn't be easier. Some of my favorite stores were All saints, Last call Nieman Marcus, Tory Burch, J. Crew Factory and Bloomingdales the outlet. Most of the stores had a good selection but only a few felt like you we're really getting a deal. All Saints was one if those. Not only did they have a huge selection of clothes but they were actually reasonable! A fully beaded sequin top, $98. A distressed leather jacket, $495. I didn't buy anything but I plan on purchasing next time.

Tory Burch was my next stop, they had a great selection of shoes and clothes. I wound up scoring two pairs of flats, and a headband. The flats were about 30% cheaper than I've seen anywhere else! Around $165 for the Reva flats and $100 for the Eddie folding flats. The black patent ones are currently being sold at Nordstrom! The headband I wound up taking back because it didn't fit my head but it was $45.  

The last stop was the Bloomingdales outlet store.  A great selection of dresses, shoes and accessories. All at a fraction of the regular price. I wound up with a new pair of Rachel Roy booties for $170 and a L. K. Bennett dress for $200.  Amazing!!

Hooray for great deals! Have you guys visited the outlets recently? Found anything good??

                                                                   XO, 

                                                                   GG

Showers of Happiness!

One of my very best friends is having a second child and this time, it is a girl! She already has a sweet little boy, who is adorable and was also my ring bearer. :) I was so thrilled to help host a "Sprinkle" in her honor.  We held it in a wonderful room at Bravo!  We decided to go with the Mommy-to-be's favorite style; shabby chic.

We used burlap runners, ribbon and handmade floral centerpieces. There were also handmade place cards with vintage fabric and buttons.  We also used pink straws which made the table fun and whimsical. 

For the prizes, I handmade chocolate chip cookie jars using ball jars, ribbon, and fabric. I included all the dry ingredients and all the winners had to do was add the refrigerated ingredients. 

I created a handmade burlap "It's a girl" pennant, as well as the tissue pom poms to use as decoration.  She is going to hang the pennant again at their home when the baby arrives.  :)

We had a gorgeous ruffle cake handmade by the Mommy-to-be's friend. I also created a calendar with her due date where people could stamp when they thought the baby would be born and sign their names.  This served as the guest book and decor for the future nursery. 

We also used the Mommy-to-be's old baby clothes as decor for the gift table. 

It was truly a beautiful shower and everything turned out really well! I had a lot of fun creating the handmade elements. I think it made it really special and the Mommy-to-be to be absolutely loved it, which is what really counts. 

Have you ever thrown an event you were really proud of?? 

                                                                    XO, 

                                                                    GG