caterer, shm-aterer

When it comes to wedding caterers, I was not aware of how difficult it would be to define a simple reception. Some define it as a simple, sterling silver pattern and hold the ice sculpture. While others view paper plates and plastic forks is simple. If they could both talk and meeting the the middle, that would make my life a whole lot easier. On second thought, if I had a room full of wedding people planning a reception, things may not become easier. Amusing maybe, but not easier.

a nod to mod

It's unclear to me how long planning a reception should take. Most books or blogs have recommended that planning start 14 months ahead of the date. As much as I appreciate the meticulously planned event, I am not one to try to drag things out longer than necessary. Just for kicks, I compared my progress to the 14 month calendar. It said I was behind.

In order get up to planning speed, I have thrown down the gauntlet and decided to finalize plans as soon as possible. With my new and improved schedule, no wedding calendar is required. Just give me a couple of months and call it a day. Rash, you say? Nope. It's mod. A nod to modern architecture. A Mies-ian approach to planning. It is a simple, less is more attitude. Besides, if it isn't figured out within the improved time frame, then it's probably not necessary.

colin's 1st birthday

Helium balloons, indoor jungle gym with tornado slide and frosted cake, you're first birthday can't get much better than this. Colin and his friends, young and old, gathered at the Exploritorium in Skokie, IL to celebrate this momentous occasion. Good times, along with a few bumps and bruises from the jungle gym, were had by all. For more pictures, click here.

toni the explorer

be like mike

Needing a break from the monotonous game, I decided to take a stroll around the United Center. It was only then that I noticed that the United Center has various kiosks scattered throughout the stadium to let you see how well you stack up against the NBA players. While there are several reasons why I drink a draft, opposed to being in the draft, the kiosks highlight a few of my NBA short comings.

the art of snow shoeing

Snow bound? Whatever should you do? We decided to try seize the moment and snow shoe around town. At the time, it seemed like the thing to do. Unfortunately, my snow shoes were only managing to fill my shoes with snow. It was less than pretty. I have yet to understand the art of snow shoeing. Then again, maybe it was not my fault at all. Maybe it was because I was given 2 left snow shoe feet. Just maybe. . .

waukegan harbor in hibernation

Pictures from Waukegan Harbor.

winter wonderland

nobody likes a dumb bride, not even consumers

mannequins gone wild

At first glance, it appears that this clothing store was caught off guard by the cold weather. Then after taking a closer look at the dummy with the ripped abs in the Miami Beach setting, I think it was on purpose.

tommy has a new sidekick

Congratulations to Doug and Naoko on their healthy baby boy Kenji. With new legos to play with, Tommy seems happily unaware that Kenji is here to stay. He did stop playing for a few minutes for this photo op, but then was off again to build a lego train.

hawks say '3 is the magic number' to retire

In front of a standing-room-only crowd at the United Center, Chicago Blackhawks retired #3, the sweater worn by both Pierre Pilote and Keith Magnuson. While they ran through stats of both players, there were two career highlights that stood out in my mind. One, Pilote brought home the Stanley Cup. And, two, Magnuson earned 1442 minutes, roughly 24 hours, in the penalty box. Unbelivable.

An awkward stroll

On a gorgeous Indian summer afternoon, I came across this buzz-kill of a girl spewing harsh words at unsuspecting people. Honestly, what would Jesus do?

field museum

murphy's remains