pretty little packages all in a row

Wedding season is upon us & while that has no impact on my life this year I am taking a mental note of this absolutely adorable bridesmaid gift idea -- patterned robes from Plum Pretty Sugar. These knee-length kimono style robes come in an assortment of beautiful patterns & are very reasonably priced at about $65 a piece (depending on how many you purchase at a time). I'm particularly drawn to these 3 patterns below:

Look how adorable they made pre-wedding photos for Missy's wedding:

(via 100 Layer Cake)

so much uncertainty

It's that time of the year in Chicago -- predicting the weather forecast is like taking a shot in the dark. The forecast really could be anything & it seems to change minute by minute. I've become a habitual weather.com checker in the morning, but now I have a more aesthetically appealing option to prep me for the day.

The Weather, City Edition is a screensaver for Mac OSX by designer Stephan Trifan that shows the weather forecast & it is drop. dead. gorgeous. Not all cities are available, but the list is pretty extensive. 

Good morning, sunshine!

(via Design Milk)

in the summer...

"In the Summer" - Crystal Fighters (Summer in the Balearics mix)

Hopefully Chicago's weather will cooperate & I can start to fully celebrate summertime in the city. I have so many things I want to do. This year has the potential to be a great one!

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it's so sexy to be living in america

Re-visiting one of my favorite patriotic songs...

"Living in America" - Dom

Happy Memorial Day & a big thanks to all who serve our country!

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i can't make you love me

Bon Iver covering Bonny Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me" on Jimmy Fallon

I secretly L O V E this song.

hahahaha

"Go Hahaha" - Hood Internet (Das Racist x Cults)

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you've always been the one

"Hideaway" - Karen O & the Kids

This song is so dreamy...

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a revolutionary idea

...and with that, I'm off to yoga!

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i was there : lykke li

"Velvet" - Lykke Li

"I Follow Rivers" - Lykke Li

Show: Grimes & Lykke Li

Location: Metro

Date: 5.23.11

Favorite Song: It was such a pleasant surprise to hear Lykke Li cover "Velvet" by The Big Pink & "Silent Shout" by The Knife (another Swedish group). "Velvet" is one of my top songs & Lykke Li did a great job putting her own beautiful spin on it. Following up immediately with "I Follow Rivers" didn't hurt either. "Silent Shout" isn't necessarily my favorite song by The Knife, but I was mostly proud of myself for recognizing it.

Memorable Moment: I love weirdo chicks & Lykke Li is right up there. Plus, she can totally get away with it because he voice is ridic. The stage set-up was very dark & ominous with the occasional crazy light sow, which I thought was cool. I also really enjoyed watching a legit 60 year old hippy guy rocking out to the show. (Think along the lines of this guy, but with a glittery bandanna).

Biggest Letdown: I'm all for dancing at concerts, but occupying a space that could fit 4 grown adults at a sold out show with your ridiculous dance moves is just plain rude. The chick next to me was continually bumping into me despite her ample floor-room. She looked like she was one sip away from over-dosing on Red Bull. Not something I was anticipating at this of all shows.

This Show: Deepened my love for the Swedes. (See here, here, here). I also r

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girl crush on a rockstar

I've said it before & I'll say it again -- I've got a serious girl crush on Taza of Rockstar Diaries & her beautiful little life. Not only is she gorgeous inside & out, but she's got this perfect little life for herself & I truly am quite envious. She was one of the very first bloggers I started following years back & I love getting little glimpses at her life; especially when it involves Kingsley, her English bulldog & her new little "Baby Girl," Eleanor. Seeing these snapshots makes me look forward to my own future, whatever it might bring!

i was there: rjd2

"A Beautiful Mine" & "Ghostwriter"


Show: RJD2

Location: Star Bar

Date: 5.20.11

Favorite Song: Well, since it was more of a Q&A session, we didn't really hear music

Memorable Moment: Hearing the background story of how his song came to be the theme to Mad Men. He is a good story teller & it was all pretty interesting. I also liked being able to tell him that The Mid (where he was playing later) was a legit venue to perform at

Biggest Letdown: That is wasn't a full-fledged show. Less talky, more mixy

This Show: Made me happy. Sometimes you can just tell that people really love what they do & that's awesome

like riding a bike

One of my favorite things about living is Chicago is the fact that I don't need a car. I'm a big cheerleader for public transportation & I also love leisurely strolls around the city. I haven't been on a bike in probably close to 10 years, but I've been toying with the idea of getting one, especially if I can look as fabulous on one as these ladies:

Now who wants to teach me how to ride a bike?

(here & here)

i get a good feeling

"ID" - Avicii

Exciting news -- Avicii is making his way back to Chicago on June 26th! He killed it at Ultra so I just know this will be an awesome show.

Ps. I get a good feeling when I'm around puppies :)

give me more

"Give Me More" - Pance Party

I'm really liking this trio from San Francisco as of late & I don't think I'm the only one. Pance Party has also done official remixes for Benny Benassi, Felix Cartal, Somethingalamode & others. They're also in the works with creating a remix for Skrillex.

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in the mood to make your head explode

"A/B Machines" - Sleigh Bells

There's nothing quite like a 9am head explosion to start out your Monday morning!

Here's some exploded machines (arranged neatly, of course) to keep you company:

(via Things Organized Neatly)

i wish...

I wish I was shipping out to Ibiza for a Summer of sun, music & dancing. I guess I'll just have to live vicariously through Pete Tong & his BBC Radio 1 shows.

I need to find me one of these:

(here & here)

weekend warrior

Happy weekend! Fingers are crossed that everyone get beautiful weather.

...and fingers crossed I win a brand spanking new iPad2 from MeridaHome & Design for Mankind!!

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magic spells

"Magic Spells" - Crystal Castles

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what a beautiful life

"Beautiful Life" - Gui Boratto

I'm still bummed that Gui Boratto couldn't make it to Ultra this year, but hopefully I will have other opportunities to see him live. He is a master of build-ups & then just lets you get lost.

Make sure you stick it out until at least the 3:08 mark.

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being in love with disco leaves me empty

"Lonely" - Soul Clap

Don't you just love something creepy to start your morning? The song is a little bizarre, but I'm really drawn to it (shocker). Soul Clap is playing at Smart Bar tomorrow & I'm tempted to check it out.

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baggage

I've never been a big handbag girl. I use them daily, but I've never really invested in a nice one, nor have I wanted to ...until now. This satchel from Scout & Catalogue makes my heart hurt. I love the worn in leather & the size is perfect.

i've got it bad

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spiders on drugs

NASA performed an experiment to see what kind of effects psychoactive drugs such as caffeine & marijuana might have on the wood spider & its web-building ability. You can read about the whole experiment here, or just watch this hilarious video to get the general idea:

Artist Guillaume Lehoux used the results of this study to create a series of bowls for home decor. Such a weird way of art imitating life, but the outcome is pretty stunning & intriguing.

(via Design Milk)

yum

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bounce

"Bounce" - Calvin Harris featuring Kelis

I don't totally love the vocals (in typical Christine fashion), but the beats are pretty sick. Calvin Harris doesn't disappoint. Enjoy!

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you told me to get lost to find myself

"Yes I Would" - Frightened Rabbit

I've only been listening to Frightened Rabbit for a short while, but I'm rather embarrassed that I initially overlooked this beautiful song. Luckily, my love for shuffle-mode on iTunes brought the two of us together & we shall never again be apart. I think I might have a new favorite.

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my favorite creep

One thing that I have never been able to do is pinpoint my favorite Radiohead song. In fact, I can't even really narrow down the list at all. There are just too many good one's to choose from.

Big question, but what about you? Do you have a 100% favorite Radiohead song? I would probably choose from one of the songs below:

"Lucky"

"Talk Show Host"

"Nude"

"Climbing Up the Walls"

"Fake Plastic Trees"

"True Love Waits"

"Bulletproof"

Ps. If you're a Radiohead fan & like the piano, check out Christopher O'Riley. That man can do some beautiful things with his fingers.

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i'm in love with a man i've only known a short while

At times I feel like a poseur -- I want to claim to be a huge Woody Allen fan, but I've only just started watching his movies within the past year. His films can occasionally get on my nerves, but sometimes I just crave his work the way I occasionally crave deep-fried whatever or Coldplay. Not intended for heavy consumption, but sometimes it's just right.

That being said, I'm about due for another Woody Allen indulgence & I think his latest film, Midnight in Paris, which premiered today at the Cannes Film Festival will do just the trick. I'll have to be patient though; the film plays in New York & Los Angeles theaters on May 20th, but all other cities are TBD.

In the meantime, enjoy this Woody Allen quote & the Midnight in Paris movie trailer:

"Men learn to love the women they are attracted to. Women learn to become attracted to the man they fall in love with." 

-- Woody Allen

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it's what she lives for, kissing on the dance floor

This song may or may not have been my theme song on extremely intoxicated nights...

"Sasha Don't Sleep" - The Dance Party (Pance Party remix)

Sad, I know...

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sinful

One of my Tweeps said it best -- what I did this weekend was truly sinful.

I was in charge of handling sweets at a siblings dinner, so I went with the obvious choices -- cake batter rice krispies & chocolate chip & bacon cookies. They were both delicious. The cake batter rice krispies were super simple, while the chocolate chip & bacon cookies required a little bit of effort, but it was all well worth it. 

Find links to the recipes here: 

Cake Batter Rice Krispies

Chocolate Chip & Bacon Cookies

nothing good gets away

(via Design Crush)

in bloom

This is one of my favorite times in Chicago -- the plants are in bloom & everything outside smells delicious.  Despite tmy current love affair with the city, Jordan Ferney of Oh Happy Day has me green with envy. Not only has this superstar mom moved to Paris, explored marvelous flee markets & traveled around Europe, but now it seems as though gorgeous flowers are popping up everywhere she goes. She's got some Mary Poppins powers, that one.

Tulips of Holland

 

Peony (my all time favorite) season in Paris