Tender Embrace

This is undeniably the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen.  How lonely are you?  It looks like somebody took a life-size muppet, then a chainsaw, and went to town on this poor guy.  Besides, nobody should share a bed with a man wearing a button-down shirt.

I'm considering purchasing this for my apartment.  Primarily to throw it on my roommate when she is sleeping then run away in a fit of giggles.  Be ready, Micah Fry, because that hand is creeping me out already.

The Boyfriend Pillow

Lolla. Epic.

Lollapalooza is a three day music festival of absolutely epic proportions.  As a Chicagoan of over three years, I obliged to attend at least one.  At the end of it all, it's nearly impossible to describe my abundance of love for it.  My parents raised me and my brother with an appreciation of all types of music (primarily Fleetwood Mac, Meatloaf, the Eagles, the Beatles, you name it).  Ryan began playing guitar around the age of eleven and I am still jealous of his ability to create.  Someone, if you're reading this, buy me an acoustic please!

I wrote about Lolla, I talked about it plenty, played the music on loop, and took enough pictures.  I will leave you with those because sometimes experience cannot be put into words.  Seriously, three of the best days of my life.

One for mom and dad.

 When Crystal wants to sit on a broad man's shoulders to see Eminem, she gets it done. 

Then it rained for over an hour, as me and my friends stood forlorn and defeated under trees that provided us no shelter.  Ryan's dri-fit shirt wouldn't even keep him dry.  That is the moment we knew to embrace the storm.

Double rainbow? What does it mean?!

Why are we planking?  Because we are at Lolla and in the middle of Jackson St. and can do whatever we want.  That's why we are planking.

 It took three days for me to feel clean again and there may still be mud behind my ear.  Worth it.

 

Then this.  David Grohl and Foo Fighters killed it.  During the most intense storm of Lolla (seriously, pelting rain hitting your face hurts) we sang "My Hero."  Just watch.

This gives me chills every time.

Lil' Bit 'O Magic

Sometimes I just enjoy the simple things in life.  This is one of the things I love so much about Chicago.  Yes, it's the third largest metropolitan area in the country but, here and there, we can find quirky little things to amuse.  Little secrets that a handful know about, even as the tourists with wallets full of cash scamper on to Michigan Ave.  One of my favorite gems is Puppet Bike.  It's exactly like it sounds, a puppet show on a bike.  It is impossible for me to explain what I love about this.  Puppet Bike makes me feel like a child.  A tiny for her age child who read Baby Sitters Club - Little Sister books and watched Stick Stickley on Nickelodeon before lunch time.  

 Specifically the child second from left.

I don't care how ridiculous this sounds but when a tiny white dog waves its stuffed paw at me, I smile.  I smile big.  So imagine my delight when I walked into work today (one of the agencies in my building is celebrating its "76 years young" birthday) and saw Puppet Bike.  Hoorah, my little friends even posed!

I never want to see who actually rides the bike; I imagine that is a mortifying experience similar to what a small child at Disney World endures when Mickey Mouse's head falls onto the ground.  Reality shattered.  As one of my friends put it, "I imagine that an even bigger puppet is inside with all the little puppets. That or a tiny sweaty man. Yes, let's not open it up."

Movin' on Up

Today I took a big step in my career as I moved up to the 9th floor of the office.  This is ironic as I started on the 11th floor nearly three years ago.  Neither here nor there.  In celebration of my move, for lack of a better word, Emily and I held a photo shoot celebrating the realities of office space.  We even used a hipster camera app that all the cool kids are using.  No worries dear client, this is totally billable.

 How I exited my cube on a daily basis, some time around 5 p.m.

Was not a fan of geometry, but the lines and shapes of this picture trip me out all over the place.

Dreaming about big things, like an office with a river view.

Do the creep

 Yep, I caught you creeping.

Now I'm on the 9th floor and away from the floor that represented a hospital mental ward.  But after 15 months, it is fair to say I will miss it.

Splitting at the Seams

Interpret however you wish, but I love this song.  It is a Band of Brothers recreation by Cee-Lo Green (whom I am delighted to see this weekend at Lollapalooza).  He's like a penguin with t-rex arms that can belt out a song.  What a trifecta.

Tragic hipster love.