get down with the get down

thank you for still making chicago feel like home. xoxo.

this past weekend was spent in my beloved windy city. it was a whirlwind of a trip, arriving early friday morning - and leaving tuesday morning at the crack of dawn. in that time i had my bachelorette party, took engagement photos, and spent quality time with our couple bffs.

the bachelorette part of the weekend was the bomb.com. we went through airbnb and found a great apartment with 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and a full kitchen. it was in a really convenient part of the city away from downtown, and it was much better than cramming 6 girls into two hotel rooms. come to find out...the guy we rented from...well he has a bit of a criminal record. would i expect anything else for my bachelorette weekend? nope. but lesson to be learned: google the owner of apartments you find on airbnb.

we did what we usually do on our girls trips but in addition to consuming disgusting amounts of dip, we also went on a wine tour, visited a restaurant i've been DYING to go to since it opened last year (balena), had cocktails at quite possibly the coolest bar in the world (no seriously, check out the aviary if you are ever in chicago) and were joined by my spirit animal, mary for the majority of saturday night. 

the best moment was on friday night standing in the kitchen and to my right were three of my closest friends from college chit chatting away like nothing had changed in the 6 years since we have graduated. and to my left was my oldest best friend and my newest best friend, hands in the air, excitedly discussing something like they had known each other forever. and my heart was so full of gratefulness i almost cried.

ladies, thank you for making it so easy to be friends with you - even when it's not always easy being friends with me.

and now...for some photos!

chicago you are seriously so gorg. 

this is called the bread boat (or bread bowl if your grocer has round loaves of bread). and it is delicious.
recipe credit: christine fitzpatrick

cocktail at the aviary take 1.
this was called the "lunch box" and it had an assortment of stuff that included peanuts so i could not enjoy it. 

cocktail at the aviary take 2.
look at that frozen mango! 

one maid couldn't make it, so she sent georgetown cupcakes in her place.
xo's to you wisty woo.

there is no mafia!

i am unashamed at how much i love television. i also love to cook, and shop, and read but television, oh i fall happily in love with television shows. i've shared my love about television before. LOST, new girl, sex and the city, the wire..the list goes on. and on. and on. 

but my absolute favorite show ever? 

the sopranos.

now i don't believe that i was ever the audience the soprano's was going after. when it first premiered, i was a 14 year old girl. i didn't know much about life, let alone the inner-workings of a crime family.

but every sunday, my dad and i would watch the sopranos.

despite numerous occasions where the scenes were so uncomfortable one or both of us would leave the room.

it was our little tradition. something we shared.

our love for tony. 

we were always pulling for him.

always giving him the benefit of the doubt. even though he was so hopelessly flawed.

and we still reference him at times. like he's an old friend.

there just aren't enough shows like the sopranos.

there aren't enough actors like james gandolfini. 

and i am so so sad that he's gone.

when i called my dad last night he didn't even say hello before i blurted out "TONY SOPRANO IS DEAD!"

my dad said, "what now? no he is NOT!" 

"yes dad, he is! he had a heart attack. and i'm like irrationally upset about it." 

"well hell, anna maria, so am i!" 

oh, dad. i am so glad so glad the apple didn't fall far from the tree. 

dat's my man

this afternoon, this guy is officially done with his first full year of implementing the city year service model in 5 brand new schools, with 50 corps members, and a completely new program staff.

i'm so proud of you. 

and

i love you so. 

star wars

i have been laughing about this picture for a solid 24 hours.

love you patricio. 

or should i say, darth? 

what about what?

when my dad was visiting this weekend, we were watching kanye west perform on snl, and i was pleasantly surprised to see him bob his head and then exclaim "man, this guy is a TALENT!" if you know anything about me and pat, you know our shared love for kanye. so i casually said "oh yeah! he's great dad! and he's kim kardashian's baby daddy." 

my dad shuddered. literally. i thought he was going to make a comment about the term "baby daddy" but instead he said, "there are a few things in my lifetime that i really wish never happened. the kardashians are one of them." 

my dad was born in 1950. think of everything that has happened in those 63 years. to name a few:

kennedy's assassination

the civil rights movement

vietnam

the munich massacre

the iran-contra affair

9/11

i couldn't stop laughing, and then finally asked "what about bennifer dad? do you wish that never happened?" his response: "what about what?"