Happy (Belated) Birthday S-Love!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEPHANIE!!!!!

I would like to wish one of my very best friends in the world a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY. I was busy this weekend and did not get on the computer, so I am just now able to pay her some b-day homage! By the way, she loves BSB, and is not ashamed in the least.


Steph and I met many moons ago at Muscular Dystrophy Summer Camp in Oklahoma. It was the first summer of camp for both of us. I was a counselor and Steph was a camper. Steph has a form of Muscualr Dystrophy known as Friedrichs Ataxia. Her bright smile and sunny disposistion draws everyone in and she and I became quick friends. We were able to go to camp for a few years together, as well as do some Jerry Lewis Telethons together in Tulsa, Ok. Too bad we live in different states now, but we still manage to keep in touch to gossip and talk about our favorite reality shows-HA! We love Survivor and Jeff Probst--on a side note--we loved him on Rock and Roll Jeopardy WAY before Survivor, and it is safe to say we are probably 2 of the only lame-os on the planet who will admit we watched Rock and Roll Jeopardy.When time permitted, we always watched Real World and RW/RR Challenge. I have to admit I do not really catch those shows anymore, but Steph and I have shared many laughs over those shows. Real World New Orleans and Real World Chicago have to be our faves-- Walla Walla Kidney Stone Justin Justin....God love Kyle from Buffalo Grove, Illinois. Hilarious!
A post about Steph would not be complete without a shout out to Dr. Pepper--her favorite beverage for ever. This is a photo of Stephanie and me a few years ago at my house. She is pretty and smart and one of the funniest ladies I know! I LOVE YOU GIRL! Happiest of Birthdays to you! ((Summer Sisters))

Beautiful day to all!

Photos from AllPosters.com, Wickipedia, MTV.com, About.com and MonkeyPosh LLC.

Lovely Day!

I love the song, "Lovely Day" by Bill Withers. It is such a happy and uplifting song. Today is a very good day, so I thought I would just share a few things that make me happy today.

YUM! I first had this coffee at Cafe du Monde in New Orleans earlier this year. As far as I know, it was the first time I ever had Chicory Coffee--it was delicious. I added cream and Sweet-n-Low, nibbled a beignet and I was a happy girl. I recently found this at a local market and was so excited.

Cafe du Monde also has a website - http://www.cafedumonde.com/ , where you can order their goods. Their beignets are the BEST I have ever had. Starting off with Chicory Coffee from Cafe du Monde makes for a very lovley day! Oh--I also heard that Chicory Coffee is healthy--BONUS!

My Lilacs are in bloom and that makes me VERY happy. The whole backyard smells so beautiful! My Finley is precious and that makes me happy too!

My Forrest is recovering nicely from a recent surgery (ACL repair). It has been a long road to recovery and he is still going to physical therapy and limping from time to time, but bless his heart, he is almost 12 years old, so he is doing great and that makes me SO VERY HAPPY!

Getting roses unexpectedly is lovely and makes me ever so happy!

We have been doing a huge project this past year of building onto and totally redoing our closet. It has been such a long process, as we have done a lot of the work ourselves, and then hired someone for custom cabinetry. We are now just waiting on carpet to be installed, then we will be all done. I have been able to move some of my shoes and my fragrances onto the shelves. That makes me very--VERY--happy! We cannot move everything in until the carpet is laid, but I am so looking forward to getting everything in order and all our clothes and shoes where they belong!

Care to share something that makes you happy today?

Have a Lovely Day!


(all photos from MonkeyPosh LLC)

Shame and loathing in Beantown

I have been on the search for cute flat shoes recently, and this has proven much harder than I ever expected. If I am going to wear a flat, then I insist on comfort. Not all flats are comfortable....ah yes, more comfortable than a stiletto, but not as comfortable as a flip flop. I am going to be traveling a lot this summer, so I need some cute and comfortable flats. This week I was shopping on a trip to another state. A pair of cute flats caught my eye....I made a beeline over to them only to be shocked and ashamed that they were Jessica Simpson brand shoes. ME--being attracted to a J-Simp shoe. Oh the horror! I made a vow a long time ago to NEVER purchase anything Jessica Simpson brand. There are certain boundaries I have to make in order to live with myself....her shoes/handbags/fake hair, etc. are one of those boundaries.
Other celeb fashion boundaries I have include, but are not limited to:

Sean John
Anything Baby Phat
Kathy Ireland brand at K-Mart
George Foreman Grills


HOWEVER--I was ever so tempted to get those J-Simp flats....I was in another state.....in a foreign city.....shopping where no one knew me.....no one could judge me...I almost caved. Thank God I got a hold of myself and did not make the purchase. I can live another day.

I still think they are cute though.....much to my chargrin.

These are the Jessica Simpson Leve Flats.

They're not that bad, right?

These red ones also come in red patent leather. They were really cute in patent. One time Carson Kressley (the one that looks like the love child of Ellen DeGeneres and Owen Wilson) from Queer Eye For The Straight Guy said that red shoes were only for whores and children. Well, put me out on Cicero Avenue, because I love red shoes and wear them all the time.

If you are so inclined, you can find J-Simp's shoes at Nordstrom, Piperlime.com and many other places that sell that kind of shoe.

Photos from www.piperlime.com and www.shoestation.com .

Have a fabulous day!

Lovely summer tops at Active Endeavors

I hope that everyone had a lovely Mother's Day Weekend. Mine was hectic and over too quickly. I did get to spend some time in downtown Chicago this weekend, so that was nice. I love Chicago in Spring and Summer.
Summer always makes for a busy time with lots of travel for me. I have been searching high and low for light and lovely summer tops that would be good for travel. Here are some cute and interesting things I found at www.activeendeavors.com .This is the Sundial Shift Dress by Tibi. I had noticed this top at a fashion show this weekend, then J-Lo and behold if Elisabeth H. from The View wore it on the show this week. Very nice looking dress/top.This is the Puff Sleeve Top by Rebecca Taylor. I am usually not a fan of rosettes or rosette type "things" on clothes, but I can look past the rosette on this top (which I am sure can easily be removed if one so chose) because I LOVE the sleeves. The formal detailing on the sleeves make the whole top in my opinion. So lovely.

This is the English Last Wrap Top by Testamant. I love the gauzy, flowy look of this one. It would look great dressed down with jeans, but you could also dress this one up with a skirt.

This is the Bubble Gum Hem Top by Graham and Spencer. Please forgive the leggings on the model in this photo--SO NOT A GOOD LOOK. For obvious reasons, shirts long enough to cover the crotch area should ALWAYS be worn with leggings. Moving on.

This top is so cute. I love it. Puffy tops are sometimes hard to pull off--too much puff and you can just look bloated, however...a little puff is oh so cute. Sorry I keep using the word "cute" but what else sounds right with a "bubble gum" top?

Love Love Love this little number! This is the Woodcut Floral Dress by Anna Sui. I have a love hate relationship with Anna Sui's designs. It goes by season. Some seasons, I love her stuff, some seasons, not so much. I think this dress is beautiful. Perfect for a summer night on the beach. I think I must order this one today because this summer, I plan on quite a few summer nights by the beach.

Do any of you have any fabulous vacations planned for this summer? Please share!

You can find Active Endeavors at:

853 W. Armitage Ave

Chicago, Illinois

It is located in the awesome Lincoln Park area.

Have a beautiful day!

(all photos from www.activeendeavors.com )

Holy Neroli! It's almost Mother's Day!

I did not think I liked Neroli. I usually pick up on a slightly earthy, dirty note that does not agree with me. However....the new Annick Goutal Neroli is making me sing a different tune. I love it. It is soft and feminine and so summery. It reminds me more of Annick Goutal's

le' Chevrefeuille than it does any other Neroli I have ever tried. The le' Chevrefeuille is my very favorite of the Annick Goutal line. Oh and Annick (or Camille) , if you are reading this, then please consider making a line of ancillary products (shower gel, lotions, etc) in the le' Chevrefeuille scent. That would be awesome. Thanks in advance!

This scent would be a PERFECT gift for Mother's Day if your Mom likes soft, floral, feminine scents. You can find it at www.Saks.com
or at select Nordstrom stores. Petite Cherie and Songes, both by Annick Goutal would also be great gifts for the special Moms in your life.

If you have not purchased anything for that special Mom in your life yet, if you order today at www.1800Flowers.com , (or call 1.800. FLOWERS) they will deliver to your Mom by Mother's Day. They have a big selection of flowers in all different prices. I have used them many times for flowers, and I have always been pleased with their service, and their flowers are always beautiful.

Here is wishing everyone a beautiful day, and a wonderful Mother's Day Weekend!

(graphic of Annick Goutal Neroli from www.saks.com . Floral graphic from www.1800Flowers.com )

Guerlain + Pucci = Love

I am as happy as a little girl. Pucci and Guerlain have teamed up for this gorgeous feat in cosmetics and stylish packaging for Spring--much to the delight of myself and my cosmetics loving friends! I love Pucci. I have many Pucci items...scarves, shoes, even a bathing suit. I also love Guerlain. Although my first love for them lies in their fragrances, I do love their makeup. I am a little late in posting about these beauties as they have been out for a while, but they are Limited Edition for Spring 2007, so if you want them, you might want to order them now. You can find the whole line at www.neimanmarcus.com .

Gorgeous Guerlain Meteorites Powder for Spring. This would look so beautiful on your vanity or dressing table. The colors are amazing!

This is the Meteorites brush and brush case. The case is so beautiful!

This is the Guerlain eye set. Those are not colors I would wear (honestly) but they compliment the colors of the case, and aesthetically, it is lovley.

This is the Guerlain Lip Glosses and Bubble Blush new for Spring. The lip colors look beautiful--well except for the teal one. Would any of you wear a bright teal lip gloss? I am not sure about that one--but they are totally staying true to their Pucci color scheme.

Find all these beauties at www.neimanmarcus.com .

All graphics from www.neimanmarcus.com .

Have a colorful day!

Springtime at Chez MonkeyPosh

Spring is my very favorite time of year. Everything is new and reborn. The air is fresh and crisp, the sky is a hypnotizing azure, the flowers are robust and full.
After the horrible winter here in Chicago, I love to sleep by an open window. To feel a breeze and wake up to the sound of the birds singing. I feel alive in the Spring. I get wanderlust in the Spring. I feel motivated and happier.

I have been working a lot in my yard lately, so I thought I would share with you some photos of my flowers and my little place in the world this Spring.

Lots of birds make the beams of my deck their home in the Spring. On one hand it is so sweet, but on the other hand, Robins are quite aggressive when they have babies to protect. I have been chased by more than a few just trying to hang in my back yard.

This is my jovial Finley and me in the back yard. Fin was born in November, so this is his first Spring. He loves rolling in the grass and chasing the geese.

Forrest enjoying a peaceful moment.



View of the patio off the deck. I love when the grass is this green and looks like velvet!

Finley's next conquests by the pond. We get tons of geese in our pond every Spring.


Back yard.


Nothing like sitting on the deck with a nice bottle of wine in the evening. Anyone have a good wine rec.?

I hope all of you are having a beautiful Spring full of all things colorful and new.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Have a great weekend.

Happy Birthday Jess!

Today is my cousin Jessica's birthday! I wish her the happiest of days full of all things fun and exciting!

This is Jessica and me when we were little girls in Oklahoma. We were the best of buddies. Jessica's sister Leslie, Jessica and I were all around the same age and we were always together when we were small. Then, divorce happened. Egos and ignorance and resentment set in (among some of the adults involved) and Leslie and Jessica and I were not able to see each other any more. Sad considering we lived about 15 minutes from each other. Divorce always hurts the children involved most of all in my humble opinion.

A couple of years ago Jessica and Leslie and I were able to re-establish contact at a family function. In our family, functions can be quite traumatic and I had a sort of a crisis, and Jessica came to save me. She is kind, funny (albeit a little sarcastic), a very hard worker, accomplished , and I am so glad we have become, besides cousins--FRIENDS.
This is Jessica and me last summer on a dinner cruise in Chicago. Now that we are adults we get to decide to hang out together, and I feel lucky to have her as my family.

Love ya cuz!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!