Welcome, Weekend!

Is it just me, or did this week inch by at the slowest possible pace? Don't get me wrong, I was still super busy, but the pile of paperwork on my desk never seemed to get any smaller. Nevertheless, it's Friday and I couldn't be happier. On deck this weekend: lots of cleaning in preparation for my mom, aunt, and sister coming to visit next weekend! I've already spent tonight reorganizing the kitchen cabinets and purging my fridge of expired take out. I'm hoping to get lots done tomorrow morning so I can treat myself to one of these polish jobs before a sushi double date night (my fav)! Sunday is going to be spent getting M fitted for a tux for his sister's upcoming nuptials, meal planning and grocery shopping, and hopefully some leisurely coffee and lounge time.
What are your fun plans for this weekend?

images via tumblr and we heart it

Five Minutes Peace

I really savor my quiet time in the mornings before I leave for work. If I have time, I like to take half an hour to have a cup of coffee, enjoy my breakfast, and catch up on my daily blog reads. Although it doesn't happen this way every day, I try to plan for this time at least three or four mornings during the week. It seems to make the rest of my day seem less rushed. Do you have an early morning routine before your day really gets going?

Channeling Austin

Given the choice between coffee and tea, I almost always go with coffee. Today, I deviated from the norm and ordered a spicy hot chai, which always makes me think of my little sister Austin, who makes the best homemade chai tea. I can't wait to have one when I'm home in December!

Scheduling Snafu

A post-work cup of coffee and scheduling session was a peaceful way to end a hectic day. Sometimes it seems impossible to fit every appointment, phone call, and piece of paperwork into my day!

A Day Spent Downcity

Today was pretty much the perfect fall day. We kicked it off with brunch at one of our favorite restaurants downtown (that also served the best coffee drinks), hit some of the local boutiques, and ran errands in preparation for football watching on Sunday. The sun was shining, the air was crisp, and it felt like autumn once again.

Seasonal Cup of Joe

I'm in love with all things pumpkin, but I'm not sure about straight pumpkin-flavored brewed coffee. I asked at the checkout, and was told that the Trader Joe's blend is more 'pumpkin pie spice' than actual pumpkin. I think it might be worth trying, especially with the holidays around the corner and lots of cold mornings ahead!

Sunday Sweets

I love Sundays, especially in the fall. M and I have a regular routine where we wake up and go to one of our favorite bakeries for coffee (and sometimes a sweet treat). We plan out all of our dinners for the week and then go straight to the market to get the shopping out of the way so we can make it home in time for football. I love it because it's something to look forward to, plus it saves a lot of time with making dinners during the work week. This morning we had iced coffees and I stole a bite of M's old fashioned cinnamon roll. It was so good, and reminded me more of a cinnamon-sugar donut.

Do you have any Sunday routines?

Chicago in Pictures: Part Three

Day Three: Iced lattes at Intelligentsia. Millennium Park revisited. Lunch with Uncle Chuck at Terzo Piano. Art Institute of Chicago. Watching kiddies play in the fountain. Hot, hot, hot. Dinner and taking in the scene at Hub 51. Drinks + DJ at Danny's. Pandora traveling music. Missed connection with another Taylor (so sad!). Late-night walk around Wicker Park. Illegal photo ops through store windows. Last stop: Estelle's.










Take me back, please!

Afternoon Pick-Me-Up

Straight from Eataly. Grazie, Tiane!

Breezy Bayou

I spent the morning devouring beignets and French press coffee with my mom at this adorable establishment. Now I'm off to do some retail damage in Georgetown. I kind of don't want to get on my plane tonight.
Can you blame me?

Hello, Chocolate

Well, I did it. I managed to go forty whole days without a drop of coffee or one miniature morsel of chocolate. It was tough, especially the last few days when I was dying for an iced cafe au lait, but the sacrifice was worth it. It's always fun to 'break the fast' on Easter, which I did by downing two big cups of coffee at brunch and enjoying a delicious (and very strong) iced latte this afternoon. I even snuck in a chocolate chip cookie and a few oreos. All in all, I'd say it was a great day. Next year I'm definitely going to give up peanut butter (which will probably be just as traumatic as coffee).

Hope you had a relaxing Easter!

Currently Dreaming Of...

coffee and chocolate.

And more specifically, how I'm going to celebrate by incorporating them back into my life in just over two weeks. Sixteen more days and counting!

all images via we heart it.

Just For Fun

Inspired by an article in this month's In Style magazine (the color issue), I opted for a non-traditional manicure to start off my weekend. I used Chanel's Riva (one of my favorites) on all of my nails, except for my ring finger, where I used Essie's Chinchilly. The verdict: I really like the look! I think it would be fun to choose colors in the same family, like hot pink with a pale pink accent finger. It was fun to change it up a little and I definitely got some compliments while out running errands. In other news, I am totally obsessed with the new way they brew chai tea at Seven Stars. It's spicy and frothy and it's making not having my morning coffee pretty bearable.

What do you think, would you experiment with this trend?

Relief

I treated myself to some green tea the airport while waiting for my insanely delayed flight. Day two of no coffee and I kind of miss it, but not in that 'I haven't had caffeine so I'm a psycho' way...yet.

Happy to finally be home and get my picture in before midnight!
It was a close one.

Officially a Grown Up

That's right, folks. I admit to being somewhat of a grown-up now because I'm doing the responsible thing and brewing my own cup of morning coffee at home. No more daily jaunts to the local coffee shop that run me two dollars and change every visit. I enjoyed my first cup of homemade coffee today while reading some of my favorite blogs and, although my brewing needs some tinkering, it felt rather good.

Around My Neighborhood

I enjoyed a quiet morning at one of my favorite local coffee shops & bakeries, Seven Stars East.

I love the rustic feel from the exposed beams and oversized loft-style windows. It's the perfect place to enjoy an early morning cup of coffee (before the insane Saturday rush).

I love it here.

Local Roasters

I stopped into a local coffee roaster today to buy a couple of pounds of freshly roasted beans in anticipation of my new coffee pot! That's right, because my valentine knows the way to my heart isn't via chocolate, but through a great cup of joe. I hope to actually learn some more about coffee, too. I felt slightly inferior when I was asked which one of their 7 dark roasts I wanted to try. I thought there was only one dark roast: dark!

Don't worry, I'll be making latte art in no time!