It’s hard to say goodbye when a sidewalk of palm trees is begging you not to go. Granted, I know palm trees are not native to Arizona, but through sheer willpower heavy machinery they made it there and like them, I was tempted to stay rooted to the spot. I even tried to think like […]
#FebPhotoADay
Handwriting
I’ve got a mind trick for you. Try to say the color of the ink instead of what is actually written. Tough, isn’t it? You’re tempted to say red for the first one, when it’s actually blue, etc. Mind blowing. 🙂 Today’s #FebPhotoADay is handwriting. As you can see, I’m not a big fan of […]
Cloud Cover
There are not many things I “hate to do,” seeing as how I’m a firm believer that life is too short. A visit home leaves me with even fewer options for today’s #FebPhotoADay, but as much as I heart home, waking up to an alarm on the weekend definitely fits the bill. I’m happy to […]
Novel Research
One of the most challenging – and rewarding – aspects of writing a historical fiction novel is the research. Obviously, a protagonist living in 1890 can’t drive a car or purchase a peppermint mocha from Starbucks, much as I’d sometimes like her to. Every detail, from the clothes she wears to the pencil she uses […]
Time + Tradition
Today was all about “time.” Tee time, that is. I was lucky enough to play golf with Mama Bender at 10:15 a.m., which also just happened to fit the criteria for #FebPhotoADay. Even though I had a rocky start – I choose to blame it on lack of practice in Chicago – we had a […]
Something New
When I saw that today’s #FebPhotoADay was “something new,” I figured whatever something was should revolve around food. Then I found out Mama Bender had grand plans for breakfast. Our mission? To replicate the Walker Bros. and Original Pancake House classic: the Dutch baby. What is a Dutch baby, you ask? It’s also known as […]
True Food Kitchen Telephone
The title is a nod to the “before and after” category on Wheel of Fortune. I’m a proud game show nerd. Though I admit to having a slightly irrational fear of flying (nothing a good cocktail can’t cure…) it is amazing that through the magic of air travel, I can be in Chicago for lunch […]
Won’t You Be Mine?
Happy Valentine’s Day! A big thank you to the Benders, who inspired today’s #FebPhotoADay – “heart” – with their Valentine’s Day package. The chocolate-covered strawberries were beautiful! Not to mention delicious. We had a great holiday here in Chicago. Though we technically celebrated at Wildfire last Friday, I couldn’t help but cook something special up […]