All moved in! Now what?

Hermione and I have officially moved into our house for this year! It's not the greatest, and it comes with an overly involved landlady, but it's ours and it's coming along quite nicely! I'd love to bring pictures to you but alas, no camera yet. Mine is still dead and I still haven't fought up the courage to buy a new one. I so hate spending money... Also, no internet in the house yet, not until next Friday. I'm so desperate for some web time that I've been sitting at KenapocoMocha (a cafe in town) for almost two hours. They literally closed around me and now I'm sitting on the sunny porch of this old victorian house turned coffee shop, sucking in every bit of their wifi. 

I moved in a day earlier than Herm and that first night alone was not entirely pleasant. Luckily the BF was available and I took full advantage, including calling him for all scary trips to and from the car. I ran lots of errands and made a McDonalds trip and it was all very weird and creepy. If I had been home and doing any of those activities it would have been so normal. I love doing things by myself and for myself and I love the solitude of it all. But I've never done anything by myself in at school, not often anyway. I'm always with friends or the BF, jogging is my only real alone time outside of the dorm or maybe a trip to The Hut. It's going to take a lot of getting used to, doing things on my own here. But I already love it. I so enjoy having a house to make up and try out all of the lovely things I see in the dozens of decorating blogs/magazines I poor over!

I forgot my birthday!

Guess what? My birthday was one week ago exactly. 

22 seems like a good age, so far I like it. 

Happy birthday to Twinkle Toes!

(When summer camp ends I'm never quite ready to give up my pseudonym...)

I spent the first day of my 22nd year on earth at work running arts and crafts. I hopped out of my car only to hear a choir of 30 baby 5 years olds singing "Happy birthday dear Twinkle Toes!". They were eating lunch at the time and they all came running at me with peanut buttery fingers and cheeto faces, I loved every messy second of their hugs and kisses!

That night after eating at least 5 giant sugar cookies I went to Albanos with some of my most favorite people. We had an evil waitress but the night was wonderful, filled with good conversation and great laughs floating out amongst the trees we were sitting under like little twinkle lights. I love my job and i love the people I work with : )

I am engaged to Kevin Jonas.

So I love to trick my kids at camp. That sounds bad, but you should hear some of the terrible things they put me through every stinking day for the past three summers. I am allowed to fool them once in awhile. 

This past week I convinced my kids that I'm engaged to Kevin Jonas. My k-1s are always bugging me about a ring I wear on my right hand ring finger so I just always told them it was my engagement ring to Kevin Jonas. I don't know why I did this. I'm not a JoBro fan. It just seemed like a fun idea. The k-1s bought it no problem. However this past week I had 4th and 5th grade. These kids were a harder sell. 

Step number 1. Change the BF's name to Kevin Jonas in phone book.

2. Show kids that most of my recent calls and texts are from KJ. This convinced quite a few of them pretty throughly, but it just wasn't good enough for me. 

3. Get the BF in on it. 

Wednesday when my kids started asking for proof I let them text message the BF/KJ directly from my phone. I'd type the message and send it, then put it back in their little palms. You should have seen their little eyes light up when my phone vibrated and it said "1 New Text Message- Kevin Jonas." Oh my gosh I almost died laughing. It was so easy!!

 Later the BF texted to ask me if they had bought it, "Hook line and sinker" I replied. 

A short transcript for those interested:

TT (Twinkle Toes): "The kids don't believe that you are KJ!"

KJ: "Of course I am, I would call you but I'm on tour right now. I miss my Twinkle Toes!"

TT: "They still don't buy it!"

KJ: "Didn't you show them the ring?"

TT: "Yup and I told them all about how we searched for it when you were on tour in Europe!"

KJ "But we did, we got it in Prague. We searched the whole day for just the right one!"

TT: "Jack has a question for you: This is Jack. Are you really going out with Twinkle?

KJ: "Hey Jack! This is Kevin. Twinkle and I have been going out for quite awhile now, it's true. 

TT: "Jack: Give me proof."

KJ: "What is the name in Twinkle's phone, it should say Kevin. I have a dog named Skip, live in California, and I wrote Love Bug when I met Twinkle."

Best day ever. Easily. 

DIY Wall Art

This is a little craft I've had my eye on all summer... I keep seeing new variations and I love them all. My problem is coming up with a quote, there are just too many!

Via Decor8 and Apartment 412

Lamps

I must be on to something, check out that architect/pharmacist/task lamp!!

Via Decor8

Task Lamps

I want these. 

But I could settle for this. 

I've seen them called architect lamps, pharmacy lamps, and task lamps. Either way, I'm sold. 

Found via i suwanne.

The Berghoff

The Berghoff is a famous old German restaurant in downtown Chicago. I've walked past it too many time to count, taken dozens of pictures of their sign, but only visited one half time. 

In 2006 many terrible things were happening in Chicago. Chicagoans went momentarily crazy and allowed Marshall Fields to disappear and The Berghoff to close. It was my senior year and I had made many many efforts to make a last visit to my beloved Fields and hadn't made it. When my aunts suggested they take my sister and I to Chicago to visit The Berghoff and Marshall Fields one last time I, of course, accepted. We made the trip in February 2006. As we trekked down Adams and got closer and closer to The Berghoff it took our notice that the famous sign was not lit up. We also noticed that the crowds which should have accompanied the last day of this historic restaurant were non existent. My aunts had gotten the date wrong and a lonely sign on the door told us were one day too late. 

The happy ending is that instead we dined at the Walnut Room and bought Christmas ornaments at Fields one last time before the unspeakable turn to Macy's. The Berghoff had an even happier ending and reopened, hardly two months after our visit.

And that my friends, is how I visited the Beghoff one half times. 

Have I Mentioned How Much I Love Chicago?

I dare you to find anything better than a day in Chicago with the girls. It doesn't exist.

Every summer I am amazed at the friendships I create with my fellow counselors. This summer started a little rough but ended so much better than I could have imagined. I love these girls and I hope we stick together over the years! 

Skipper, Twinkle Toes (me), Bingo, Cricket, Meeko