Good Reads...2011 edition

Photo via {Chicago Tribune}

Best and Worst Films of 2011.

100 Notable Books of 2011.

The Top 10 Top 10 Lists of 2011.

The story of a year through an excellent playlist.

Chicago Tribune 2011 Pictures of the Year.

Take Me Somewhere

This husband and wife duo bought a 30-foot sailboat and set out for a yearlong tour of the Eastern Seaboard. I think that is incredibly romantic and this song has me itching to take off somewhere on an adventure.

Kitsch'n on Roscoe

Before the holiday craziness, Talitha and I had breakfast at Kitsch'n on Roscoe, a cute retro diner in Roscoe Village. They serve classic comfort food with a little twist. We had the kitsch'n chilaquiles and coconut crusted french toast. The chilaquiles were so delicious, by the time I got to the french toast, I was too stuffed to fully enjoy them.

We have a lot of breakfast spots on our list for this year and I'm looking forward to exploring the city and feeding my belly one breakfast at a time.

2012 goals

Via {Design Crush}

I've never been one to make resolutions but this year I wanted to make a list of things to accomplish in 2012. Some are big, some are small but all are totally do-able. Here's to hoping I can cross more items off this list than my semi-successful 28 before 28 list!

1. Eat better (without sacrificing my weekly breakfast dates with Talitha).
2. Complete Suzuki Violin Book 7 training.
3. Schedule a photo shoot for Magnolia Strings.
4. Complete Orff training.
5. Complete Pilates Mat training.
6. Buy an iPad.
7. Pay off 1/2 of debt.
8. Learn to play the Ukulele.*
9. Throw an Academy Awards Party and actually watch all the Best Picture Nominees.*
10. Take a photography class.
11. Learn how to actually manage a blog.
12. Resurrect my sewing machine.
13. Run a 1/2 marathon (or maybe just the Shamrock Shuffle again.)
14. Declutter my apartment.
15. Start a dinner club.
16. Dance...in tap class, in zumba, around the apartment...just dance.
17. Volunteer at the animal shelter.
18. Ride bike in Chicago (Christine, I'm counting on you to help me with this one.)
19. Improve my Spanish speaking skills.
20. Go on a vacation.
21. Go to a Bulls game.
22. Use my Cross Country skis
23. See a movie in a theater once in a while.*
24. Try a spin class.
25. Go to a summer music festival in Chicago.

 *Notes:

#8- I'm still learning!

#9- Party, check. Movies, 2 down 7 to go.

#23- The Artist

Hello, Goodbye

2011, you've been swell but I'm looking forward to the new adventures 2012 will bring.

Happy New Year everyone!

Zoolights + holiday recap

Hi friends! I hope you all had a fantastic holiday. I've enjoyed a couple weeks off from work and time spent with family and friends. Christine and I kicked off the holiday break with a fun holiday soiree and recorded several songs in the recording studio for Magnolia Strings. I spent time with family eating soup and playing board games. I saw the beautiful and heartbreaking movie, The Descendants and made do with fake snow at the musical, White Christmas. Last night, my college friend, Tom, and I enjoyed the balmy Chicago weather walking around Lincoln Park Zoo and taking in the millions of Christmas lights.

In Print

Via sacred art

Via Help Ink

Via Society6

Via Therese Sennerholt

Via Ryan Kapp

Via Wanelo

Via Society6