chicago summer: day 1.

Here's hoping you have more sunshine than we do.  I'm off to my in-laws this weekend for some much needed relaxation time and Sprocket's first experience in the pool (!!!!!).  Have a great weekend!

[Sorry for the glare and my reflection in the photo, I just needed to capture those sad summer drops.]

take me away, tuesday.

Maybe it's because today is a particularly foggy and wet day, or maybe because summer may actually be here for real and I'm getting cabin fever, but this Tuesday I find myself extra anxious to get out of town.

When I think about packing my bags and taking a vacation/weekend/life hiatus (which is a pretty regular thought), my destination is always Yountville, CA.  Why Yountville?  I have only spent five days there: one in the summer of 2011 while Andy and I were driving up the coast of California, and four last July when we spent our honeymoon there.  It's the most beautiful, peaceful, ethereal place I've ever been.  Is that an exaggeration?  No.  Not only does it have THREE Thomas Kellar restaurants, but you can bike to vineyards all day, walk the cozy, flower lined streets, and soak in the California sun.  Also, we ate $.50 oysters before the best meal of my life at Ad Hoc -- can't really beat that.

We've already committed to going back for our five year wedding anniversary, which is a mere 49 months away.  I've also been looking at real estate there, so yeah, I'd like to go back, please.

 Quick detour from our bike ride to pick some grapes (don't worry, he's just pretending)

 We biked six miles and went to ten vineyards in one day on these rented bad boys.

Yountville, I love you.

at last.

How dramatic of a title is that for a post about new sandals?  Just wait, it gets more dramatic.

I'll never forget where I was when my last pair of black flat sandals broke.  It was July 19, 2011.  I had just gotten my hair cut (are you riveted yet?) and was walking to Kleinfeld's (now you're riveted) to pick out my wedding dress.  That's nearly TWO years ago.  For two years I have only worn brown or nude color sandals.  Oh the agony!  Woe is me!

But now that I have a new job and can actually afford to buy things, I finally splurged on a new pair -- and by splurged I mean use a gift card I got for my birthday.  Behold, my new beauties!  From what I can tell by walking around my office for 15 seconds in them, we're going to get along just fine this summer.