chicago in pictures

Loved every minute of chicago, the unseasonal weather inspired me to get out and explore. Millennium Park is amazingly beautiful {especially in spring}, an art lovers dream.  

The architecture and landscape was breathtaking. My favorite was Yvonne Domenge’s Tabachin Ribbon, a 13 foot tall yellow sphere sculpture made out of steel. The sphere defies gravity and space, conveying a rhythmic beauty and a sense of a larger universal order. check it out here

i believe the people of chicago run off Starbucks. {i lost count after 16} Seriously there is one on EVERY corner. Downtown was an experience for this country girl… i walked with my head up toward the sky the entire time, looking at the thousands of skyscrapers… soaking it all in. SIMPLY AMAZING

Navy Pier was a fun place – Although i spent the entire time wishing the kids were with me. It’s absolutely for the children {and young at heart} the children’s museum, IMAX Theatre, 15-story Ferris wheel and McDonald's The Future! The highlight for me was eating an unhealthy yummy funnel cake while staring out at beatiful Lake Michigan.

took these pictures walking back from Navy Pier to my hotel room. There were people biking with their children, running, sailing, skateboarding and playing ball. Just made me smile & inspired me to get outside and play!

My husband took me to dinner at the Signature Room {95th floor!} -- beautiful skyline view, the food was scrumptious... It was really romantic!


I was sad to leave it all but so ready to get back home to my babies, i called to let them know we landed in Little Rock and Adrianna told me she made jr.high cheerleader which was icing on the cake!

greetings from chicago...

Jeremy and i are on vacation in beautiful downtown chicago. he had to come for business and was going to be alone for a whole week – we couldn’t have that! …so, i came along!

i am spending the bulk of my time walking around the city {5-8 miles a day}, taking pictures, shopping and eating delicious food. really, it's breath taking here & i am trying to capture it all - the architecture, art and beauty of lake michigan

Our hotel is in the heart of greek town which Jeremy loves… i think he could eat gyros everyday. I had the opportunity to attend a cooking demo presented by the owner of Pan Hellenic Pastry Shop and wanted to share her wonderful recipe with you...  which would be perfect for Easter!

KARIDOPITA - kah-ree-THOH-pee-tah

{Greek Walnut and Honey Cake}

Ingredients

4 eggs {Separated}

½ cup olive oil (plus 1 tablespoon for the pan)

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup Semolina (can substitute bread crumbs for the semolina)

1 cup pastry flour

¾ cup milk (warm)

¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cloves

¾ teaspoon baking soda

1/8 cup of cognac (optional)

1 ½ cup chopped walnuts

½ cup ground walnuts for garnish

Instructions:

Pre-heat oven to 375

Heat together the oil and the brown sugar then slowly add the egg yolks.

Beat until creamy

Mix in the semolina

Dissolve the baking soda into the warm milk then add to mixture

Add the cloves, cinnamon and cognac

Add the flour and then the walnuts

Mix well

Make a meringue of the egg whites – gently fold the meringue into the flour mixture

Pour the mixture into oiled cake pan

Sprinkle the ground walnuts on top

Bake 50 minutes

Add syrup when hot out of the oven.

Honey Syrup:

Ingredients:

½ cup honey

1 cup granulated sugar

3 cups water

A few cinnamon sticks, whole cloves and lemons

Directions:

Add all the ingredients to a pot and bring to boil. Boil approximately 20 minutes

Let cool completely! Don’t put HOT syrup on hot cake

I will be posing lots of pictures soon!

xoxo

those sneaky leprechauns...

I worked from home on Friday because Adrianna was out of school for Spring Break. We picked Andrew up early from daycare - right after his St. Patrick Day party. He couldn’t stop talking about the leprechauns that snuck into his classroom… he said “Mom, they made a  HUGE mess and left green foot prints everywhere”!

Adrianna came up with a fun idea to make a Leprechaun Trap– To catch those sneaky leprechauns! 

 

They worked all afternoon creating the perfect trap. I love how Adrianna got super into it & wanted to make everything perfect for Andrew 

All Leprechauns love lucky charms... right?

They camped out in the living room ALL night

with their flashlights

but were unable to catch the little guys...

 

Instead they woke up to this mess & a note saying

"You tried to catch me with you sneaky trap but we got away... I bumped my head on your contraption and lost some coins. Here is a treat for your efforts. Better luck next year"!

Is that not the cutest older sister or what??

Drum-Roll puh-leez...

Miss Adrianna was chosen as Junior High’s Student of the Month for March 2012!

Jeremy & I couldn’t be more proud!

Apparently it’s a BIG deal for a 7th grader to be chosen amongst 8th and 9th graders.

Her principal, Mr. Bell, presented the award to her at the School Board Meeting Thursday night.

{After reading ALL the sweet comments from her teachers}


******

I probably brag too much on my children but i am grateful. fiercely grateful.

They are so much more than I ever deserved.

They are everything to Jeremy & me. We will be the first to admit we’re tough on them because the world is tough & nothing comes easy. We want our children to know that everything good in life requires HARD work. They know we have high expectations. {we remind them everyday}

 I sometimes feel like a drill sergeant but moments like this, I realize it’s all worth it!

weekend + rain = Crafty FUN

This was the perfect opportunity to create St.Patrick's Day crafts!

…and that we did.

Andrew created beautiful Shamrock Art…

Using a green bell pepper {that I cut @ the bottom} & green paint

Adrianna made triangle banners using scrapbook paper, twine and modge podge

& filled the Cloche with foam Shamrocks

{that we purchased from the Dollar Tree} 

For snack - green milk & cool mint oreos!

If you love girl scout thin mints than you MUST try these... they are TO.DIE.FOR

I would love to know what you are doing to get ready for St.Patrick's Day. 

  

Spring Fever...

What a beautiful sunny day, it took all I had to stay at work. {77 degrees} I spent most of they time, staring out the window, day dreaming my boss would let me leave early.

{yeah right!} atleast we were slow so I worked on my to do list for this weekend.... SPRING CLEANING

I plan on cleaning, purging & rearranging my house, hand washing my truck and if I have time maybe a crafty project that I found on Pinterest This may sound crazy to you but a clean, organized house makes me happy!

  

The daffodils are in full bloom {love the yellow}

I took these pictures @ the farm last weekend after church.

We spend most of our weekends at the farm now days... the kids love it there & Jeremy and I can always find work that needs to be done.  

 

 

Happy Friday!
Hope you're enjoying this beautiful weather... After all, this is Arkansas, next week we may have snow! ;)