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 How To Decoupage Furniture |
 1970's Furniture Makeover |
 Pregnancy Q & A |
 Series: How To Make Money as an Antique Mall Vendor |
 Painted Cabinets: My DIY Kitchen Island |
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This Chicago shop was so cute that when I saw the shop’s window across the street I immediately dragged Adam over!
The pieces were fun, fresh, and funky. A good mix of rustic, modern, glam, and vintage inspired.
Want to check out more pretty things by Mecox Gardens? Make sure to check out their WEBSITE.
As I mentioned in my earlier post, we went to Chicago for the week to get away. Just me and the hubby. We were celebrating 10 years and had been needing a getaway for a long time! Everything seemed to align and so we were off! Chicago was a wonderful place to visit with a variety of activities to do. Here are some of the best places to visit in Chicago.
If you’re in need of a view, then these places and tours are for you! We visited SkyDeck Chicago at night to get a night view and stood out on the glass looking down on the town. Let me say, I thought I might lose my dinner…boy, am I scared of heights! So, this is THE ONE picture of me NOT clinging to my husband for dear life! A few days later we visited 360 Chicago for an even better view (if you ask me). And, if you like thrills they’re about to open something called the TILT. Windows tilting out onto the ground once you’re standing in them. Um, I think not! And, if you love a good view and some good history and architecture, then you have to check out the architectural tour along the river. It’s a must!
If you’re a fan of baseball, or even just a lover of history, you have to go to the Wrigley Field Tour and a Cubs game. The Wrigley Field Tour is a great way to see behind the scenes and hear about the history of the park. As you can tell from my hubby’s face, this was by far his FAVORITE thing we did while we were in Chicago….one to mark off the bucket list!
I had several favorites, which not surprisingly, were all about art! We toured Frank Lloyd Wright’s home and studio. It was so interesting to hear the history behind the house and to see how ahead of his time he was with his architecture. We also visited the Art Institute of Chicago Museum. They have many famous artworks that anyone would recognize and the largest collection of impressionist work outside of the Louvre in Paris, with works from Van Gogh, Monet, Picasso, and more.
If you’re planning on traveling with children, Chicago is a GREAT place to visit! So many parks and kid oriented places. I don’t know how many pictures and videos we sent to our kids while we were at these places. Adam and I said several times that this would be a great place to take kids. Shedd Aquarium features animals from all over the world and a Sea World worthy show with baluga whales, dolphins, penguins, and sea lions. Adler Planetarium is world renowned and has numerous shows that you can view throughout your visit. The Field Museum is all about natural science and history. My kids would have gone ga-ga over all the dinosaur fossils, including the one pictured below that they call Sue. And if you’re wanting cheap, you can’t miss out on the Lincoln Park Zoo. It has all kinds of different animals, including bears, wolves, and a polar bear; and is the only free zoo left in the United States.
Some other sites you might not want to miss out on are the iconic ones…’The Bean’, Buckingham Fountain, and the Magnificent Mile.
And, of course, you can’t go to Chicago without eating some Chicago style pizza and hotdogs! My hubby does not rave about food, never has. But, he could NOT stop talking about Portillo’s hot dogs. According to him, “the best hotdog he had ever eaten!” I will tend to agree…served Chicago style with onions, relish, tomatoes, pickle slice, and little peppers. And for Chicago deep dish pizza, everyone directed us to Giordano’s. Their pizza was stuffed and looked just like a pie…one piece was more than enough for me! My favorite was a place called Kanela’s is Old Town. It was quaint and sweetly decorated. I enjoyed sipping my coffee for brunch and eating the yummy grill cheese and homemade chips that followed. Here are some other places that locals told us we just had to hit up and enjoy…
Chicago is a wonderful place to visit! If you’re wanting to know more places to check out or want some great deals, these are some great sites.
CHOOSE CHICAGO, CityPASS, TripADVISOR
Recently I was invited to attend a Women’s Weekend with my church. A group of 200 women traveled to spend a weekend worshiping, relaxing, and spending time in Christ. I was asked to paint a piece of furniture in front of the group during some of the worship music.
Painting in front of 200 women was the easy part. You know what wasn’t easy? Going on the retreat. It was totally out of my comfort zone.
But I’m not blogging about this to brag about how I put my anxieties aside and went on the retreat anyway.
Or to talk about how awesome the food and snacks were. Which was the highlight of the weekend for me and my growing belly.
I’m not here to talk about all the awesome girl time and bonding that happened.
I’m not here to rub in how we did yoga by the lake on one of the most beautiful days of the year.
Painting next to the worship band was inspiring. And if I was able to have them serenade me while I paint everyday I think all of my furniture would look this amazing.
But I’m not here to boast about how beautiful this piece of furniture is. Okay, maybe a little boasting. I really loved it. But seeing two lucky ladies win them was even more gratifying.
The reason I am blogging about this is to share with you the cliff notes of my story I was able to share that day. That God qualifies the unqualified. God took a banker of 14 years, who was a self-taught painter, knew nothing about blogging or websites, but He still managed to bless me with this amazing opportunity I get to call my job.
Yes, there have been voices of doubt I wanted to listen to along the way. But I didn’t let those seeds of discouragement write my story. God placed a desire in my heart and when I truly listened to it I found who I truly was. Yesterday reminded me if Jesus was risen from the grave then making a banker into a professional blogger and painter isn’t a big deal.
What has God put in your heart that you have been too scared to believe He could bring to pass?
Easter is here and one of my favorite things to do is to dye Easter eggs. It doesn’t matter if you’re old or young, it’s a fun tradition and there are so many alternatives out there to the regular ole’ PAAS dying kit.
Here are a few of my favorites…
Watercolored & Ombre Easter Eggs
