BLEUBIRD BLOG

CHICAGO BOUND.

we are headed to the windy city for five days. a nice little get away before the big kids come home (on august 4th...YAY!) and before this little lady turns two (on august 20th) and she can no longer fly for free. i have only passed through chicago before so this will be my first time getting to experience the city. have any of you been there? live there? any tips you can share? must go places to see, awesome shops and yummy restaurants to visit? i would love to hear the skinny.

we have yet to find a place to stay, eek! my cousin lizzie works at the four seasons (i know... how rad is that?) but they are booked solid and even with her awesome family discount it would have been quite a chunk of change to stay there. i'd rather use that money to splurge on play and eat delicious food. we are still searching for a place downtown near all the action.

today is for packing and wrapping up some important must-do things before we leave. thanks again for your chicago recommendations.

BITS + PIECES.

bits + pieces of the country. {pardon my lack of blogging this past week. it was a doozy.}

1. horses from a neighboring farm. they followed us as we passed by.
2. watching the birds fly by and the families of deer passing through.
3. the most charming little chapel. i especially love the blue door.
4. the smell of bacon sizzling in the morning.
5. kicking rocks.
6. a summer salt water swim.
7. the most comfortable bed to lay my head.
8. a neighbor dog stopping by for an unexpected visit.
9. afternoon walks in the fields.
10. the most beautifully painted door and two very fancy sheep.
11. a magic tree house.
12. a magic farm house.
13. tiny breakfast date. no shirt required.
14. a new playmate for birdie.
15 & 16. the place that makes the incredible pie.
17. our favorite teepee.
18. pretty, shiny instruments.
19. summer time, pass time.
20. a late night swim while everyone else sleeps.
21. the village.
22. my favorite capture of the weekend. she is so beautiful. inside and out.

this place just feels like home to us.

footnote: the stylemint giveaway was extended until tomorrow. the winners will be announced then, in the original giveaway post.

HAPPY FEET.

my feet were dancing over the past few days. both the left and the right were more than happy to set foot onto these beautiful floors again. to have these beautiful rugs beneath my toes. yes, it felt good and perhaps a little irresponsible to pack up and get away to the ranch for a few days on a whim. to make a run for the countryside and to leave behind the fast paced city, my pets, my plants and my computer. to run away to my happy place out in the middle of nowhere, where there is little to no cell service let alone internet access. to relax with good friends and their babies. to trade the mosquitoes for june bugs and warm, muggy rain for breezy, fresh air. to swim in salt water by day and to gaze up at a blanket of stars by night. for a good ol' dose of peace and quiet.

yes, both of my feet and my heart were happy over the past few days.

footnote: our pets did not go unattended while we were away. thankfully we have a friend who fed them, gave them fresh water and rubbed their tummies.

COUCH POTATO.

i hope you all had a wonderful independence day. we got to spend time with some dear friends and one in particular that we haven't seen in awhile. he has been missed and it was really good to see him. we ate, we drank (many a virgin cocktail for me), we swam, we lit fireworks, we stayed up way too late... the typical fourth of july festivities i suppose.

today was a day for staying in our pajamas (for the most part at least.) aubrey and i took turns napping on the couch. we watched cartoons, a bit of bad tv, a couple of movies and snacked on comfort food most of the day. we did manage to sneak out for a walk and a bite with birdie this afternoon. we tried a new french restaurant that opened up around the corner from our house. i had the lunch special: tomato bisque, a small salad of greens, a ham and cheese crepe and a chocolate ganache crepe for desset. it was pretty good and only eleven bucks. we will be back again.

tomorrow it's back to real life for us. it was fun acting like kids and playing hookie from most of our responsibilities for a day, but there is laundry waiting to be done and two bathrooms in line to be cleaned. we have some special house guests arriving saturday afternoon. my aunt and uncle are coming in from california for a short visit and i am thrilled. i don't see my family often so this is quite a treat. so off to bed i go, i've got a busy day ahead.