Long Live The Art of Brunch

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This is a season of re-adjustment for me, as we have moved to a completely new city and I have begun a new season of my career. 

Part of my adjustment, thank God, has involved lots and lots of brunch.

When we were living in Chicago and life was a lot more hectic, brunch was undoubtedly a 'thing.' Warm or cold, we would venture out to some of our favorite brunch spots and take our seats to be served a delicious meal. It was always a highlight of the weekend.

But, as I am growing into my new life, I am learning something.

 There is something incredibly intimate about a leisurely brunch at home, 

whether it is just you and your significant other, 

or you are hosting for family and friends.

I love it...

...the silverware and bowls that are uniquely yours, gifts from loved ones and significant people in your life

...the prosecco cork still sitting on the table, adding to the experience of knowing you are in a comfortable and private place 

...the bacon that is prepared just the way your loved ones like it (...hopefully)

...the coaster with your monogram on it

...the entire bottle of bubbly sitting at your table, allowing you to serve yourself - or choose not to - without fanfare, and without finding a server to place an order

...the ability to completely disregard time, to talk about whatever you want without having strangers nearby, to have intimate conversations uninterrupted by a water refill or being handed the check

I don't want the art of brunch to die. 

The art of hosting, of creating an experience for the people you love. 

The time invested in a delicious table full of food, 

and the leisurely experience of taking as long as you freaking want to eat it. 

Cheers to that.

A Short Chicago Getaway

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Life is good.

On Easter Sunday, I spent the day in West Michigan enjoying the sun and grilling some hand made burgers in my super impromptu tulle skirt purchase.

That night, I headed to Chicago. I had a client meeting in Evanston on Monday morning, and my husband was traveling for work himself, so I decided to make a short trip of it and catch up with a few people.

After my morning meeting, I headed to Lakeview where my girlfriend from High School lives. We walked to Uncommon Ground and had a pretty delicious lunch with a side of pomegranate mimosa. Or should I say... some pretty delicious pomegranate mimosas with a side of lunch.

Once we walked back to her apartment, it was time for her to head out and I made my way downtown. My oil light kept going off - like to the point that it was beeping every few minutes and driving me nuts - so I finally pulled over and grabbed some oil. Once I got to River North, I was "that girl" with her hood up, trying to fix her car. Sorry I'm not sorry.

Eventually, I walked to my old office. I met up with my aunt and chatted a bit and then went to visit my old department to catch up with a few people in the last few minutes of the day.

Afterward, I walked back with my girlfriend who works there to her loft in River North. Let's just say I have friends with good taste. Her loft is like a Restoration Hardware showroom.

Told ya...

We were pretty starving, but it was raining out, so instead of dealing with that, we opted to order in from Epic. But, then we realized we needed wine. So, despite not being willing to walk to a restaurant for dinner, we were totally down for a walk to Binny's. It did not disappoint, and neither did the food once it arrived.

Wine consumed pre-dinner = blurry dinner pic.

Once we polished off a bottle of wine and dug into the second, time sped up (as it tends to under those circumstances) and it was suddenly time for bed. My girlfriend had work the next morning, and I was looking at the drive back to Michigan followed by work, so we called it a night between 11 and midnight. I sleepily slipped off my jewelry and makeup and had a super deep sleep.

The next morning, I took some nespresso to the face and gathered my stuff. One great thing about short trips is that you never fully spread out your stuff, so it's easier to throw things back together and hit the road.

I love this dog! P.S. oil swishing is making my teeth whiter - see?!

I picked up the pup on my way back home and it was a joyous reunion! Nothing like a happy dog to make you excited about a drive home. We got home around noon, so I prepared some lunch and worked like a dog (ha) for the rest of the day, until I had done enough that I justified a long walk and sitting by the dock...

 

Did I mention life is good?

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

• Do you do short weekend trips? Where to?
• Thoughts on turning business trips into pleasure (don't read too much into that...)?