Three Bridesmaids Dresses Later...

Here are the long awaited pictures from my brother's wedding - we are one good looking family. For some reason (of course) it is kinda fuzzy.

Thanks again for all of your kind words and well wishes.

And while it wasn't the best fitting dress I've ever worn, it did look pretty damn good.

PS - I'm the one on the left. :)

My non-foodie review: Publican

This is my first non-foodie review of a Chicago restaurant. I'd classify it as a non-foodie review because I just like food, I normally can't taste to oak undertones of a steak or most herbs - I just know what I like.

In honor of my sorority past, I will use the compliment sandwich format: positive, negative and end on a positive.

So let's get started!

Publican
845 W Fulton Market
www.thepublicanrestaurant.com

Positive: Pigs, pigs pigs
With the pig paintings on the wall, you know that pork is their main specialty. I had the pork belly with maple and something else (It's not currently on their website) but it was a fabulous combination of sweet and salty without being too much like kettle corn (not in the literal sense, but it provided hints of sweet next to the saltiness of the pork. After talking with the waitress about the different types of pork - since I am a novice - she suggested the pork belly for me since it was the closest to bacon without it tasting like breakfast. It was really great but I think I would try the ham next. Our neighbors were eating the ham and offered my friend and I a taste, it was by far the very best ham I have ever eaten. Sara Lee could take some lessons from them. No need for French's mustard, it was fabulous.

Negative: Loud and packed
From the pictures, you can see that there are just long tables with chairs lined up. Since you're sitting so close to people, you inevitably are listening to their conversation. And since you're doing your best to carry on a conversation with whoever you are eating with, you end up trying to talk over them. So while the community feel of the restaurant is pretty cool, the tables could use a couple of seats removed. We couldn't get a reservation - which was my fault for waiting so long to reserve a table - so we ended up drinking at the bar until our table was ready and while it could have something to do with the popularity of the restaurant, it was totally packed and we didn't sit down for dinner until about 10pm and finished at midnight. A little to European for me.


Positive: Ich mag Bier.
Good thing the beer list made it totally worth the wait. I love a good German beer and this place, complete with a beer director, had more choices that I couldnt pronounce and must try. I enjoyed Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier Dunkel... which I loosely translate as Stephanie's Heifenwissen is Delicious (Clearly I know zero German and made that all up) But I do know it was probably one of the best beers I have ever had. While the price tag of $9 could seem steep, the 500ml bottle provides the perfect amount of beer for the price tag. On their 11x17, fully-covered menu, they had Trappist beer which swear is a beer urban legend. Some of the Trappist Monasteries' beers have won international beer awards and yet, I have never actually seen it at any establishment. There are only 7 monasteries/ abbeys that brew beer, six in Belgium and one in the Netherlands. At $31 a bottle, I am going to need to save it for a very special occasion but I am excited to try it.

So overall, I would say that Publican is worth a visit, even if it's just for the beer menu. I would love to try one of the other pork options and for sure get the ham. Even if you're not a meat eater, the fish menu was quite vast and looked delicious. I'm not a big fan of fish but my friend loved her mussels so that's good enough for me.

Summary - Totally worth the money for special occasions but you may not hear your neighbor talk.

What time is it and what are you thankful for?

So the time is 11:51 and I have decided that I have a lot to be thankful for.

For each number in the hour, list someone you're thankful for and for each number in the minute, list something random you're for.

People I am thankful for:
1 - I am thankful for my dad. He sends me these "inspirational" words or wisdom - which he subscribes to - and for the longest time I would just delete them but once I started reading them. I realized that he was sending me the ones he thought would help me. I look forward to getting them now.

1 - I am also thankful for my roommates. Tonight we discussed all of the great things we'd do if we won the 325 million mega lotto. We can talk about anything and everything. She cheers me up when I need it and can be an ear when I need to vent. We weren't great friend in college but are best friends now.

Random items I am thankful:
5 - My uncle's paintings in my room, stationary, my new blackberry, my new monogramed L L bean tote bag, and Nitro Circus on MTV2

1 - Lola by Marc Jacobs (it smells amazing)


So what time is it and what are you thankful for?
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

are you a disenchanted youth tuning it all out

so i am watching the daily show with jon stewart, like i normally do, and feel like i have come to a really powerful conclusion: american adults have lost their minds.

honestly, i don't even know where to begin. with all of the obama healthcare talk people have completly lost their minds. i am lucky enough to have great health insurance and pay alot for it. there are tons of people who don't have insurance or have terrible insurance that barely covers the cost of a flu shot - why don't more people care about that?

have we become so selfish that we'd rather not help out neighbors?

now i realize that it is not that cut and dry of an issue but the bigger picture is still there. when did we stop caring about the people who live right next door to us? don't think that i am far off when i say that the people who complain about paying more on their taxes are the same people that donate large chunks of money to causes in africa. does it make them feel better to help people they can't see?

and again, i know there are people who abuse governmental programs but i would like to think that the majority of people who use these programs really need it and arent abusive.

but what are young people to do? so what now. what are my next steps?

nothing.

whether you believe in obama's healthcare plan or (hopefully) something similar, there is nothing that you or i can do. even when our powers combined, are voice means nothing.

believe that what two people who love each other should be able to get married? tough.

believe that semi-automatic weapons arent actually used for hunting? too bad.

there are so many policies and laws that should be re-exaimned. but don't get you hopes up.

run for office if you dare but with the inter workings and behind the scenes life of our political system how is anyone old or young suppose to make a difference.

our government, good or bad, has been trecking along for 200 plus years and having nothing to do with obama's slogan (because i realize he hasnt been around long enough) - i want to believe in change and hope but have yet to see anything that has changed or something to be hopeful about.

**sorry for the rant and apologize for the lack of capital letters, typing on my cell phone.

Update: I have not eaten bread in 9 days

Joy of joys. It fits! The size 14 fits!

Despite the fact that I never thought I would be so excited about a size 14 dress fitting, I am because this ordeal is finally over.

You might be asking yourself, if it fits why not enjoy a slice or 7 of bread?

Well, I am finally eating healthy so I am going to try to keep that up. Clearly Adkins is no real way to live but I figure getting in the habit of eating better can only help me, right? I will eventually have to eat carbs, especially with my birthday coming up (drinking on a carb-free diet is not suggested since I will be wasted in 3 beers). So I am going to do my best to continue eating healthily and mixing carbs back into my diet.

But since these wedding pictures will be on our mantels for life, I am going to do my best to avoid carbs until after the wedding.

Thanks for all of your comments and well-wishes! It is reassuring to know that I am not the only one going through this kind of bridesmaid dress debocle.

I have not eaten a piece of bread in 5 days.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

I have not eaten a piece of bread in 5 days.

I miss you bread.

Long Story Short

Brother getting married in 2 weeks.

Future sister-in-law picks J Crew navy strapless bridesmaid dress

Since it's on sale, J Crew doesn't have me and my sister's size

She suggests wearing a henious halter version of the dress

Not pleased

Look on ebay and find a size 8 (for sister) and 12 (for me)

Upon arrival, size 12 doesnt zip-up

Resolve to lose weight

It's not July and I haven't lost any weight

Take dress to have a tailor let it out

Tailor says he'd do his best, but probably not possible

Eat my feelings

Look on ebay again

Find size 14 & 16 in the dress

Buy the size 16

Receive the size 16

Size 16 doesn't match my sister's dress

"Deep Pacific" blue is not "Classic Navy"

Stop eating carbs 3 weeks before wedding

Find a size 14 on ebay.... which guarentees it's "Classic Navy"

Order 3rd version of the dress

Awaiting delivery

To be continued.

Now in retrospect, we should have just gone with the halters and been done with it. I know tons of people have girls wearing different styles of dresses in the same color but it wasn't like we got to choose which dress flattered us the most. And the fact that her three size 4 friends would have been wearing the stapless and she and I would be wearing the halter, already sticking out in a different dress and the fact that we have some meat on our bones.

I am rambling but praying the size 14 fits because if it doesn't I don't know what I am going to do.

Why do weddings make people crazy? Like I would never pick a bridesmaid dress that I couldn't get every one of my girls' sizes. It's just a navy dress. But when it comes to weddings, I think some people just loose their minds.

"Deep Pacific" Size 16 dress from ebay

(Actual Listing Photo)

"Classic Navy" size 14 dress from ebay

(Actual Listing Photo)

And I'm back...

Wow. It feels like I just fell off the face of the earth for about a week... and it was amazing.

Surf City, New Jersey was the prefect place to spend the 10 days with my family.

I could do without the catching up portion of returning to work. I am way behind on my Google Reader and have tons to share so as soon as I have more time, I will put up a new post.