In the Dog House.

I have the (unfortunate) tendency to already think about my next meal when I haven't even finished eating what's on my plate. For instance, today at lunch while I was munching on Stacey's pita chips dipped in yummy tomato basil bisque soup, I couldn't help but have my mind wander to tonight's dinner. P and I are headed to the newly-opened Chicago's Dog House on Fullerton (at the Fullerton/Lincoln/Halsted intersection). As you (should) know, Chicago is known for our hot dogs - and we're kind of crazy about it. A traditional Chicago-style dog consists of an all-beef hot dog on a poppyseed bun, topped with mustard, onion, relish, tomato slices, a dill pickle spear and celery salt. To. Die. For.

Though Chicago's Dog House will have the traditional Chicago dog that is - as they call it - "dragged through the garden," they pride themselves on their unique takes on the Windy City favoite. The French Poodle is topped with Brie cheese, grey poupon, & pear and there is a Smoked Duck Sausage with Swiss cheese, mushrooms, caramelized onions and dijon mustard. Just looking at the menu online my mouth is watering! No matter what I choose, I am totally going to get their homemade fries (which actually look more like chips) - yum!

I'll be sure to fill you in on what I choose to stuff my face with tonight.

peaceloveandgchat.

R

Funny you should say that, C.

I literally saw that Anlo dress on Shopbop yesterday and totes thought the color was fab. Anlo and I must really be on the same page these days, because I was thisclose to buying these awesome colored Anlo Petra Skinny Jeans in both Pool and Orchid.

I imagine myself wearing either of these pants this spring and summer with my silver or gold Jack Rogers, a white tank and maybe a a bright yellow sweater like this J. Crew Jackie Cardigan in light citron to really make the look pop.

I can't wait for this dreary winter weather to turn so we can all whip out our fun, bright, springy colors from the back of our closets!

peaceloveandgchat.

R

Especially for you, R.

R. I could TOTALLY see you wearing this Lansy Dress by Anlo that I just found on Shopbop! Maybe its the color, or maybe its the subtle details. I love love love the strap across the back! Either way, I think you need to get it. Perhaps to wear to one of L's wedding festivities?!

peaceloveandgchat.

C

And so it continues...

Ahhh it has finally arrived! January 29th, 2010. So many fabulous things about this day, on top of it being a Friday! As I mentioned earlier in the week, Lilly P was to be adding her spring line to the website today! And alas, she has! While I obviously love almost everything about the colors and patterns that she shares with the World Wide Web, I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed when i scoped her "New Arrivals" section this morning. The Mira Jumpsuit that I had been counting down to see in person, just didn't look quite like I had expected on the model. (This will not stop me from treking up to the store on 79th and Madison tomorrow morning in the 12 degree weather to try the romper on however). Other than that, I really didn't see anything that stood out too much in my mind. Don't worry though, a little birdie told me that on February 10th, a few more pieces will be added to the collection. I guess that means the countdown continues. And until then, a few things I plan on purchasing (hopefully on sale) from the last collection release...

The "Cinch 1 Piece" Printed in "Turquoise Lock Me Up" will be one of the first things I toss in my carry-on (for fear that my luggage gets lost and im at the beach without a bathingsuit...) as I head to the beach this March.

And this "Pillar Tunic" Printed in "Daquiri Pink Coral Me Crazy" will be tossed in right after. Nothing better than hitting the beach wearing 2 different Lilly prints and a wintery pale glow to my skin!

How long until February 10th?!

peaceloveandgchat.

C

Happy Birthday! Love, This Weird Copper Cat

Not to bring up cats again, but...today a birthday card was circulated around the office for everyone to sign for a coworker's birthday. No big deal, right? Well, it becomes a big deal when the birthday card looks like this:

I'm sorry, but what?? WHAT is this? This is 100% not a birthday card. I can't even tell you what the card is intended for - there isn't even anything written on the inside. It is literally just a card with a copper cat splayed on a wire door. Oh, and the wire is real - heavy, metal wire with a copper cat attached to it, on a paper card. The interesting thing is, no one else in the office thinks this is the least bit abnormal. And it's really bothering me.

peaceloveandgchat.

R

hitting the slopes in style!

2 (hopefully short) weeks from today, I depart the big apple, for a ski trip out west. It is a bit of an impromptu trip (as in, I booked my flights yesterday), and who doesn't love a last minute vacay?! Thanks to a last minute cancellation by my sister (thanks S!), I was invited to go to Deer Valley with the cousins! I'm taking advantage of the long holiday weekend, and going Thursday-Tuesday (I'm thinking of it as a dedication to Lincoln and Washington). I figured I needed the extra fews days since, well...I haven't been skiing since the 10th grade. And for those of you who know me, well I'm not the MOST athletically inclined person, so getting back into the swing of things in all of that fresh powder miiiiight take a while!

Now that I have booked my flight, I need to start purchasing a few essentials (pretty sure I no longer own snowpants, but that's just a hunch). I'm thinking my first purchase might be this pair of Chanel Skis for a mere $4,055 that i found on Instyle.com...SIKE. Not only can I not afford those skis (or if I did buy them, I wouldnt be able to pay rent for the next 3 months), but I'm pretty sure I no longer know how to ski...all in all, bad investment. Guess I'm back to ski rentals and my light blue North Face jacket from high school.

peaceloveandgchat.

C

My weakness.

Monday was a great day. Not only did I have my favorite weekly Pilates class (which royally kicked my butt), but I came home to find in my mailbox my J.Crew Spring Rewards Card! Ahh the perks of being a J.Crew cardholder. J.Crew sends a gift card for every $500 (oops!) or so you spend. Considering pretty much my entire wardrobe is J.Crew, this is amazing. Now normally, I would stampede up the four flights of stairs to my apartment, grab my comp and plop down on the couch for the night to check out how I will spend my newfound J.Crew cash, but I surprisingly restrained myself. As C mentioned earlier this week, Lilly is coming out with their new Spring line on Friday - so I thought, hmm maybe J.Crew will be debuting some new duds this week too. I am soo glad I waited because this morning J.Crew revealed some new arrivals of their new spring line!

A few highlights:

This Lilac Shower Shift Dress in light ginger is just adorable. I am a big fan of shift dresses in general, and with it belted like this, it gives it a more mature and polished look, while still staying chic and casual.

Not everyone can pull off the jean short trend, but this look makes me want to try it out this spring. I love the statement necklace with the tee. You can never have too may cotton v-necks. (I am wearing a grey J.Crew one today actually!)

I love how J.Crew has teamed up with Sperry to make these great metallic boat shoes - cutest.

Welp, looks like I have some shopping to do. . .

peaceloveandgchat.

R

i wish i was a little bit taller...

I love love loveeee this giraffe bust they are selling at Anthro (only $68!)! And I think it would look just fabulous above my dresser mirror in my bedroom! Not only is the giraffe one of my all time fave animals (i have Giraffiti, the Giraffe TY Beanie Baby sitting on my desk in my bedroom), but I also went to Africa a few summers ago with the fam, and have been dying to blow up some of the great pictures we took of the animals! What better place to put some one-of-a-kind pictures from "the bush" (my mom took the one above) than surrounding this Anthro wall decor?!

peaceloveandgchat.

C

you dont need a swimming pool for THIS kind of breast stroking.

Our dear friend from college, CMac has a tendancy to send us frightening YouTube videos. Check out the video we received last night before bed. Hmm...wonder if that will be CMac in 30 years? Yikes.

peaceloveandgchat.

C&R

Happy Birthday Little Man!

No, I don't have a dwarf sized bf. It's my little bro's 12th bday today! Ahh to be a 6th grader. Looking back on it, I always used to think (and still do) that birthdays were such a big deal! My birthdays usually consisted of my favorite meal for dinner with the whole fam, and presents. Pink, sparkly presents. Oh, and Carvel cake. How could I forget the Carvel cake (with extra "crunchies"-a MUST in our family!) I guess boys are different? L had his football buddies over for a sleepover (very different from my standard 12 year old slumber party---as in, our basement smelled like a gym locker room the next morning---as opposed to nailpolish and make your own soap crafts). And the poor guy has dinner with mom and dad tonight. I guess that's what happens when you're the youngest. Lucky for him though, he's getting a plethora of X-Box 360 games (shh don't tell!) which will keep him busy for the post-cake portion of his evening!

Enjoy the big 1-2 little man!

peaceloveandgchat.

C

DONG!

An email from my roommate, E:

Yesterday, Charlotte's* daughter Rory (age 5) was home sick from school, so I, (being the NICE employee that I am) told Charlotte I would help her out and go watch Rory for a couple hours while she went to a meeting. Rory, not REALLY sick, wanted to go play in their playroom. While playing, we stumbled upon her new camera and she wanted to show me some "funny pictures." We scrolled through holiday pictures, New Years pictures, random pictures that a 5-year-old would take...when all of the sudden we came upon NAKED pictures of Rory's dad (CHARLOTTE'S HUSBAND) in the bathroom. There was an assortment of FULL FRONTAL nude photos ranging from Greg coming out of the shower to him going to the bathroom. Rory must have ambushed him one morning, because he wasn't exactly posing for the pictures. But, sure enough, I was SHOCKED and didn't know what to do...

Rory: You can see my dad's WEINER!!
Me: Oh, yes Rory. You can.
Rory: Isn't that SOOO funny??
Me: Hilarious. Rory, do your parents know you have these pictures?
Rory: I don't know...
Me: Well you probably shouldn't show them to people...
Who have you shown them to?
Rory: Just ALL my other babysitters...

Poor E. Seeing your boss' husband's dong? Gross.

*names have been changed to protect the innocent.

peaceloveandgchat.

R

California Dreaming. . .Every Week.

As I write this, I am gorging on my all-time favorite lunch: the California Dreaming salad from Foodstuffs. Foodstuffs is a gourmet specialty food store in Chicago's North Shore suburbs. They have amazing catering services, as well as homemade appetizers, soups, salads, sauces, breads and pastries. Oh, and an excellent assortment of taste-testers. I usually make the rounds (two or three times. . .) around the store before heading up to the salad counter. I treat myself to Foodstuffs about once a week and have to restrain from buying out the entire shop when I go in there (it helps to remind myself that I live in an tiny apartment with an even tinier kitchen and one roommate - not cooking for a family of six with a house in the burbs and a kitchen like Ina Garten's any time soon).

But back to my salad. . .this bowl of goodness has spinach, tofu, edamame, walnuts and dried cranberries with balsamic vinagrette. They chop it with this J.A. Henckels Chopper - and it's absolutely amazing.

I can't wait for C to visit me in Chicago (!!) and I can open her virgin eyes to the wonderful world of Foodstuffs.

peaceloveandgchat.

R

iomoi oh my!

While perusing the internet for the PERFECT image to represent COTPG (R and I are anal, so this task may take a while), we came across one of our FAVORITE stationery websites, iomoi! Not only do they have fabulous stationery, but they have some truly one of a kind hostess gifts, invitations, and a multitude of colorful, personalized tchotchke's to have made for yourself, or give away to your friends (R, please take note...I love everything on this website, especially the canvas pillows!). Anyways, in our pursuit for a free image or monogram to represent ourselves, I came across iomoi's "e-stationery." This isnt just ANY old e-stationery. It is FREE e-stationery. And it is absolutely to die for (just like everything else on the website!).

Above is a little note I sent to R with iomoi's e-stationery page. Don't get too jealous! Just click the link and you can start making your own delectable creations!

peaceloveandgchat.

C

the final countdown

Happy Tuesday from the Big Apple! Oops for being MIA yesterday...had a serious case of the "Mondays" and could barely function. Nevertheless, I am back, and it is Tuesday. (Which means only 4 more days til Friday!) While most weeks I would be excited for Friday to show up for the obvious reasons, this week there is an extra excitement added to my favorite day of the week...Lilly P!

The 2010 Spring Collection hits the internet on Friday! I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am for this! As you all know, both R and I are hitting the beaches in March, and what better way to pack for a tropical vacay than with the bright colors Lilly! I fully intend upon spending a larger portion of Friday (and the entirety of next week) gawking at the new patterns and styles!

This romper will be featured in the new collection (hopefully in a variety of patterns!), as provided by Style.com's 2010 Style Guide!

peaceloveandgchat.

C

Yes: Lipstick; No: Mustaches

Ohh sorority recruitment season.

A fellow Pi Phi sent this to me a few days ago and I just have to share. Cornell's Pi Phi chapter set guidelines for what to wear (and what you better steer clear from - "gross plastic shizzz") for each round of recruitment. Now, I have to admit, it is normal to have a dress code, but this crazy girl in charge of recruitment goes a little far.

A few of my favs:

- NO camel toe.

- No satin. No one looks good in satin unless its from Betsey Johnson or Dolce and Gabbana, you weigh less than 130 pounds, have 3 pairs of spanx on and it's New Years Eve.

- Yes booties if you can pull them off aka probably not.

- No charm anything we aren't 5 unless I say it's beautiful.

- No Sultry. It's noon people. And these are girls, not laxers.

Enjoy reading the entire (7 page!) document here.

peaceloveandgchat.

R

Keeping Up With Reggie

Who watched the Saints/Vikings NFC Championship game last night?! Oh my gosh sooo intense!!

Sike.

I actually did watch, but frankly couldn't even tell you the final score. I do know that the Saints won, and I am happy about that. The reason? REGGIE BUSH. The reason I love Reg? KIM KARDASH.

So I was hanging out with my boyfriend and a few of his friends last night watching the game. Normally, when I am in this position, I grab P's computer and peruse Perez, Facebook, The Superficial, Shopbop, J.Crew, Ruminations, or Chicago Breaking News (seriously - have to stay up on all the South Side homocides, etc.). However, last night I found myself on the edge of the couch screaming whenever the Saints scored a touchdown. Ew. I hate girls like that. I really actually throw up in my mouth a little bit when I see a girl in a football jersey. You know, the ones that are made specifically for girls? Think tight, pink, booby, possibly with rhinestones...

Needless to say, P and his friends were a little put off by my sudden interest in all things Saints, so I eventually admitted that I was rooting for Reggie and his boyzz because, honestly, I just wanted to see Kim cheering in the stands and check out what she was wearing, who she was with (hopefully Kourtney - love her), etc.

Well they pulled through in overtime and the Saints did, indeed, win. I am now waiting to hear if Reggie proposed since they are going to the Superbowl...stay tuned!

peaceloveandghat.

R

Is this weird?

A guy I "held hands with" (wink. wink.) one fateful night in DC last year is ENGAGED! I mean come on, I think its kind of weird...it was less than a year ago! I'm not bringing this up because I'm jealous, or anything of that sort, because lets be honest, my one night MO sesh in Glover Park wasn't going anywhere for me. What I'm trying to say is, call me old fashioned, but I think I'll be waiting a little longer than 10 months to sign up for 'til death do us part.'
Thoughts?

peaceloveandgchat.

C

Daddy I Want this Shoshanna Dress and I Want it NOW!

(Charlie and the Choc Factory, duhh.)

I adore this dress. I want it. So bad. Sooo bad.

I actually have a great way of justifying purchases I make. So, let's say you've just bought an expensive dress, bag, pair of shoes, whatever - and now have buyer's guilt. Well - divide the price by the number of times you wear it. It works out fabulously. This dress is $340 on Shopbop. I know I will wear it during a weekend jaunt to NYC for a friend's 25th (eek!) Birthday (i'll see C of course) in April and to my sister's rehearsal dinner this summer - oh wow lookie here - the price just dropped to $170 - what a STEAL! Throw it on again one night this summer? BOOM - $113. Soon enough, your clothes will be paying you if you ask me.

peaceloveandgchat.

R

i need a beach, and i need a martini! stat!

For those of you who can't bring your inner MK&A fan out of you, the title is referencing one of my all time favorite movies, "Holiday in the Sun." Truly a classic if you ask me! Anyways, on to my real reason for this post...Although I only had to partake in 9-5, four times this week (MLK day on Monday), it has felt like an eternity. The only thing that has gotten me through the week has been scoping websites for new spring clothes! I am going to St. Thomas in March with some girl friends from college (R can't make it due to a scheduling conflict....aka a previously planned trip to Boca-not too shabby!). It's right around this time of year that i become sick of wearing black/brown/grey/navy all winter long, and start searching for something a bit brighter to rock come spring time (a sort of light at the end of the tunnel). While most spring lines have not come out yet, I have come across the perfect little shoe to hold me over! Dolce Vita has come out with the Effie Sandal in a most fabulous shade of hot pink. Personally, i think they will go great with both my beach AND martini when relaxing on my own "Holiday in the Sun."

peaceloveandgchat.

C

I Guess We're Doing This...?

Welcome to the Chronicles of the Professional GChatters, where 9-5 life consists of sending each other links to clothes we want (but usually can’t afford), people who bother us (hello coworkers), food we’ve eaten (and usually trying to burn off by after-work trips to the gym) and celeb gossip (perezhilton.com is bookmarked on our computers). Sitting at a desk all day, one learns to get very creative with the internet.

So, if you’re bored at work, unemployed, or just think we’re hilarious, we welcome you to the Chronicles of the Professional GChatters.

peaceloveandgchat.

C&R