Day 256 watches the train go by

This is the lovely alley behind my street. It's a nice buffer to keep us safe from the noise of Southport, which can get rowdy on weekends and game nights. It also showcases my most favorite thing - the train that goes right by us. I caught it mid-transit tonight as I was walking home and liked it quite  a lot.

Day 256 can't wait for autumn

September 13th. Mark this day down in your Katie Calendar. My first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season! I made time to stop at Starbucks before work this morning with the intention of ordering one of these bad boys. It did not disappoint. Well, other than the fact that it was gone too quickly.

Day 255 was shattered

Life lesson #255 - partying too hard may lead to broken iphones. I'm a self-declared iphone freak. My phone is always with me. I won't even go into the details of that italicized always. Just know it's truth. So spending all of Sunday staring at this shattered screen was horrible. So horrible that I took my chances today and went to the Apple store to see what could be done. What could be done, you ask?? Oh... nothing major... they just replaced my phone for free. Dear Apple, I love you. Broken glass is not covered under apple care phone insurance. But they were still nice enough to replace it. I almost hugged that genius bar worker who helped me. I should have hugged him. But I'll hug my new, un-broken iphone instead.

Day 255 makes its own rules

I had a busy evening. If tonight is any indication for how the rest of the week will go (and I think it is), then the weekend will be much needed. I went to the gym for the first time in a week to blow off some steam - amazing choice. When I left I saw this RV, taking up eight parking spots. Talk about coloring outside of the lines. The parking lot isn't very busy at this time of night, but it's still kind of a badass move. I think I'm going to make this a "take up eight parking spots" kind of week. Watch out world!

Day 254 pauses.

Today was spent recovering from yesterday. 24 hours later and I'm still not doing any better. Yikes. I was out running an errand tonight and noticed the sunset light was simply gorgeous on Southport, so I stopped and took this pic. This church is so beautiful and fits so well with the somber mood of this day. I'm sorry for all the gushing, but my goodness I simply can't get enough of this town.

Day 253 sees beauty everywhere

Saturday was a better day, in that I actually got out of the house and took a much deserved break from working. I took this pic as I went around the neighborhood exploring, a fave activity of mine that I'm sure I've talked about before. Still loving Chicago so much and especially love finding new beautiful spots everyday.

Day 252 is so full

I had a marathon day of designing on Friday. Marathon. 7am - 3am. It's a miracle I remembered to eat amidst all that madness, but I remembered and thanks to delivery.com, didn't even have to leave the apartment and stop designing to get some lunchies. Mmmm.

Day 254 was the icing on the cake

Today was the graduation show for my improv class. It was a lot of fun! And the icing on the cake, my friend Emily came from New York to see the show! This makes two shows in a row that I had visitors from New York - I'm lucky to have such wonderful friends! After grabbing some celebratory drinks with people in my class Emily and I went to Dos Segundos for an early dinner. We went a little overboard, food-wise. For instance, we started with one dessert (Death by Chocolate cake) and knew it wouldn't be enough to share so we ordered another. When our waiter brought out our Chocolate Mint Cake he said, "Here's round two." My momentary embarrassment was eased by the amazingly delicious desserts. Such a fun day!

Day 253, meet Mayor McCheese

Well ladies and gentlemen, it's flea market time again! I've begun to acquire lots of weird glassware, primarily cups. I was thrilled to find this wonderful Mayor McCheese one for $1. It goes well with the ones I have from McVote '86 and The Great Muppet Caper. The stranger the better!

Day 252 is resilient

While putting some envelopes in the mailbox after work, I saw this sad old book on top of the UPS drop off box. I actually noticed this book a few weeks back, when it was in better condition. Apparently no one wanted to take it home. This resilient little book has weathered a hurricane and massive flooding. I want to track it's progress to see if it makes it to and through the winter. You can do it, old book!

Day 251 got the blues

I bought these turquoise earrings a few years back in New Mexico. I temporarily lost one amongst the mess of my other jewelry. Obviously, I found it and decided to celebrate by wearing them today!

Day 250's Phirst Phillies game!

I Phinally went to my Phirst Phillies game! (Overkill?) It was a very last minute decision to go to the 7 p.m. game, as my friend texted me shortly before I left the office. Free tickets to a suite for my first Phillies game? Yes please! Peanuts in the shell, beer, hotdog, Phanatic, seventh inning stretch, high fiving strangers, proposal in the stands, exciting win in the ninth. I think I just became a baseball fan! Go Phils!

Day 251, Hey Mambo!

I'm not the only person who picks out wine based on label design, right? I mean - besides knowing whether I want a red, white or rose - everything else is determined solely by labels. This bottle is currently sitting in our booze cabinet waiting to be enjoyed. But I don't know if I can because I just love this packaging design so much! Hey Mambo!

Day 250 is getting fancy

Woot!! Looky what I got! I'm not sure why, but I've always dreamed of having an apartment where we drank out of mason jars. Today, I made that dream come true. Thanks to amazon.com and some super fast shipping, these babies have arrived. Aren't they simply lovely? I might have some sweet tea tonight just to celebrate the occasion.

Day 249 is weirded out

Saw this on the street during some evening wanderings. I'm gonna go ahead and give this a big WTF. Giraffe... what are you doing here??

Day 249 got the first slice

While it might not look like much, this banana bread is one of the most delicious things my mom bakes. The recipe doesn't call for chocolate chips, but she adds them! It also has walnuts. It's basically the most perfect treat ever. And I got to have the first slice while it was still warm. The perfect end to a long rainy day!

Day 248 got coooold.

I got a little blindsided by the cold that blew in to Chicago today. Certainly not uncomfortable, but just this past week we were suffering through 94 and it suddenly being 30ºs cooler threw me off a bit. I scrambled to find some jeans and a hoodie as I lamented the end of summer really happening!

Day 248 gets an unexpected pep talk

I'm seriously hoping my scratchy throat is a leftover effect yesterday's hangover. Just in case, I've been taking cough syrup and cough drops. For whatever reason, Halls decided to include these weird inspirational lines on the wrappers. "A pep talk in every drop," apparently. I could use unexpected pep talks like these throughout my day. What's the likelihood that I'll find encouragement underneath the stapler on my desk at work tomorrow?

Day 247 recovers

Remember that party I mentioned in Day 246? Well I was still recovering a day later. I'm talking lots of sleeping, ibuprofen, and no food. I struggled through toast early in the day and finally in the evening I wanted a normal meal. I've been going through a greek yogurt phase lately. While this isn't your typical hangover food, it worked for me!

Day 246 gets dressed

Beautiful weather? Check. Sundress? Check. Party time with friends? Check!

Day 247 and the seagulls

One of my dearest and most inspiring NY friends has just moved to Chicago. Woot!! We spent his second day in the city at the beach. Despite it being a bit cooler and windy than we wanted, we still enjoyed sitting in the sunshine and sand for an afternoon, chatting and watching the seagulls go about their business. It was quiet and perfect and just what a Sunday should be sometimes. So much happiness.

Day 246, a rainy-sunshiny day

Saturday started off as sunny as a summers day should be. Then suddenly a wild thunderstorm appeared. Everything got real dark and gloomy and generally bummer-ish. BUT THEN sunshine again!! I caught this moment when the sun was just making a comeback in the late afternoon through some rain clouds. Simply lovely.

ps. Apologies for the late weekend posts, friends! All this Chicago partying and I've not been good about posting on time. SORRY!

Day 245 throws a few back

Long Island Ice Tea.... in a pitcher. Insanely delicious and slightly more potent than any of us realized. Made for a pretty sweet Friday night, if I may say so myself. Now if you'd please excuse me - I need some coffee stat.

Day 245 ain't easy being green

It's the holiday weekend! I want to do as many summery things as possible over the next few days. This includes wearing sundresses, driving with the windows down and eating ice cream. Let's be honest, I'll likely do all of these things after Labor Day, but they just won't feel the same! Tonight I'm having a relaxing evening in before a busy next two days. What better way to spend the night than by painting my nails in summer colors! This green shade (Who the Shrek Are You) is going on my hands. I haven't yet picked a color for my toes. I'll likely settle on something with an equally cheeky name.

Day 244 no entiende

Signage!!?@! Does this stuff make you as happy as it makes me? Homemade signs with a little dash of passive aggressiveness get extra awesome points, for those keeping score. I spotted this tonight in the hallway of a friends building. Maybe don't go with the Spanish sign if you're not feeling comfortable with... ya know... Spanish. Just a thought. I also super enjoy the very, very tiny english translation at the bottom. So much goodness!

Day 244 on tape

Why does my mom own lots of masking tape in fun colors? Not sure. But I like it.

Day 243 has seen it all before

I was trying to take some interesting shots of my day job. It's hard to do since mostly I sit around the usual desk items - post-it's, paperclips, stapler, pencils... - you see where this is going. I settled on this pic. You don't seem one of these very often, right?? Good old CC machines that totally remind me of my Wicked days.

Day 243, we don't need roads

The township is paving the roads in my neighborhood this week and they decided to start with my street. Pain in the ass? Yes. Kinda cool-looking from this angle? Yes. It's like an old timey cobblestone vibe and I like it. Though, I hope they finish this work quickly before I do something stupid to my car. The Fundai does not appreciate less than perfect driving conditions.

Day 242 goes to school

On my way to a morning meeting today, I was walking behind this scene for a few blocks. The backpack to human ration here was just so fascinating and adorable to me, I totally went into creeper mode to take a pic. Let's discuss how this back is nearly half way down her legs. I'm sure there was nothing in the bag besides crayons, a notebook and construction paper (life essentials), so at least it was light. But I've seen a lot of these "first day of school" kids and it immediately brings back memories of my school days back in Hawaii. Aah, youth.

Day 242 is cardigan weather

This is my favorite cozy oversized sweater. It's a Salvation Army find. An old men's Lacoste cardigan. As I started to get chilly this evening, I decided to wear it. Just like your grandpa.

Day 241 is so vintage chic

The warm weather inspired me to go on another neighborhood run this morning. It wasn't a long run, but at least I got up early and got to enjoy the beautiful day! I stopped, however, when I saw this. I couldn't just not take a picture! I would have gone inside if it wasn't closed for the summer. How cute that this store closes for an entire summer. Chicago, you are totes adorable sometimes, you know that?

Day 241's sky is gorgeous!

Following a crazy weather weekend, today was really beautiful and felt like autumn. Plus, the sky was gorgeous! These amazing clouds looked kind of like a sideways tornado in the sky. Cool crisp autumn days are right around the corner, and I couldn't be more excited! It's my favorite season, so consider yourselves warned for lots of festive photos over the next couple months. (Also, can you believe we've almost completed eight months worth of slices!?)

Day 240 learns about the neighborhood

I have a sneaky feeling that we're nearing the end of these warm, sunny Chicago days. Sunny might be here for a while, but warm? Sadly not much longer I think. We got down to a nice and cool 58º tonight - that's Fall weather for sure. I was on a mission to be outside for most of the day, enjoying the sunshine and all that good stuff. In my travels, I came across this building. Which is basically a miniature, rounder, browner Flatiron building, right? Or at least that's what I'm seeing when I look at it. Either way, one of my favorite pictures from the day!

Day 240 survived Irene

Well, we officially survived Hurricane Irene. The worst was actually yesterday. However, early this morning until about an hour ago, we were without power. During that time my mom and I went out for coffee. We decided to drive to the Delaware River to see how high/choppy it looked. Pretty high and choppy, apparently. And super chocolatey-looking. Like Willy Wonka chocolate river-esque. Thankfully it appears the damage in the area was to a minimum. No more hurricanes this season, please!

Day 239 needs to get to Disney

At work today I spotted a group of 3 little kiddies who had set up a lemonade stand across the street. Even if they weren't standing there looking all adorable in their Disney costumes I would have walked over to support these fellow small business owners. No joke, these kids were so freaking adorable it hurt. One little boy, Trevor, insisted I not leave without looking at the sign they made. "We drew it with the crayons of the best colors and we want to see Mickey Mouse." I. died. Hope my little contribution helps these cuties get to Disney World soon!

Day 239 just wants some sunshine

The crappy weather, courtesy of Hurricane Irene, matches my bad mood from the last several days. I just want to nap away this bad day! Can someone wake me up when it's sunny? In all seriousness, I hope everyone stays safe this weekend, with hurricane damage to a minimum.

Day 238 devoured this.

It was a long work day and I needed some food and booze in my belly asap. Roomie to the rescue! We grabbed us some grub, some drinks and all in all had a nice night out in neighborhood. Just my kind of night.

Day 238 loves sunflowers

I thought I'd post a photo of these beautiful sunflowers in our backyard before Hurricane Irene destroys them. Everyone on the east coast is freaking out about this storm, so I'm going to enjoy being outside tonight in case the world ends tomorrow. On that sunny note, happy weekend!

Day 237 is a green monster

I got a little adventurous with my lunch decision today. I've been having a hard time finding a pre-work lunch that isn't heavy (aka. Makes me want a nap), but isn't so light that i'm hungry 45 seconds later. I settled on some pad thai followed by a green tea smoooooooothie. (You have to say it like that, with all the 'o's. It makes the world a better place). Here's an aerial view of my smooooooooothie. Yum!

Day 237 better watch out

Yikes. The sky this evening looks mighty creepy. We're bracing for Hurricane Irene, here on the east coast. I don't get worked up about the weather until I see it firsthand. I'd probably be amongst the first casualties in a 2012-end-of-times-rapture situation. What thousand foot high tidal wave? Anyway, apparently this hurricane is going to be intense. The main thing I'm worried about is it screwing up my weekend plans! Hurricane Irene better watch out for Hurricane Katie.

Day 236, pick a color.

Check out all of these crayons! Remember, I have an art teacher mother. I wonder how long it will take a normal human being to go through all of these crayons. There's only one way to find out...

Day 236, the nightowl

Despite the awkward blurriness of this picture, I wasn't drunk when I took it. Just tired. Like, real tired. I'm still adjusting to my new schedule, mainly re-learning how to plan out my work for the day so I don't end up awake at 3am designing. Which sounds fun, but is much less fun at 9am the next morning when my alarm goes off. H'anyway, this is the alley that runs behind my apartment. It's really not this creepy, it's actually one of my favorite little things. I'll try to take a daytime picture so you can see how cool it really is.

Day 235 gets to work

I had to pick up a day job here in Chicago so that I can continue to do fun adult things like pay rent, eat food, have internet, etc... Yay responsibility! It's actually not so bad though. The people are nice, the work is easy and the commute involves me walking 2 minutes across the street. Awesomesauce. This is my part of my view during my work shifts. It seems someone has an affinity for blue pens here. I'm gonna throw in a black one tomorrow to see if anyone notices. Gotta keep myself entertained somehow!

Day 235 loves a good (old) book

The Bucks County Library, Yardley branch, had a book sale today. I love old things, especially old books. I can't say no to cheap old classics. I'm slightly embarassed to say I've never read Franny and Zooey or 1984. So, they're now added to my ever-growing list. Let's be honest, I'm probably not going to read that Hardy Boys book - but it's going to look good on my book shelf.

Day 234 wants this forever

Another picture-perfect day here in Chicago. Perfect weather for people watching around your neighborhood. This is a shot of Southport looking all pretty under that (almost) clear blue sky. I wasn't the only one out and about enjoying the perfect day, despite how empty this particular street looks.

Also Katie, I think you and I had the same lunch view today! I mean, those clouds look mighty similar if you ask me.

Day 234 goes out to lunch

My mom met me on my lunch break today and we ate outside at Shady Brook Farm. It was a little windy, but so sunny and a perfect temperature. And look at those clouds! Shady Brook is about a two minute drive from my office and offers a nice break from being indoors. More days like today, please.

Also, TODAY FELT LIKE AUTUMN!

Day 233 is sending mixed messages

The weather was so so so divine today that I found myself up early, running out to grab some coffee and go for a walk through my neighborhood just because I could. An especially perfect start to any day. I stumbled upon this sign. I know what they're saying, I'm with them all the way, but I still chucked. Wedding dress rugs anyone? When you're wedding dress rug needs cleaning, I know a great place that will take great care of you. :)

ps. extra points if you spotted me there in the corner! Summer shorts FTW.

Day 233 smells minty

I'm not obsessed with all things mint chocolate chip, I swear! Just this gum, the green shade and these tissues. The tissues themselves don't actually smell minty, but I wish they did.

Day 232 got soaked!

I'm quickly realizing that Chicago weather can change in a second from one extreme to another before you have time to even grab an umbrella. When I woke up - blue skies, sunshine. Not an hour later as I'm outside walking, I start to realize that rain is imminent and my choice of a white dress was perhaps not wise. Thankfully I was shielded for most of the storm, except for a brief 30 seconds running from a car to a restaurant. And in that 30 seconds I got shockingly wet. Eek! I'll be better prepared (and dressed) next time!

Day 232 loves graffiti

Living in the burbs, I don't see graffiti very often. However, while in New Hope this afternoon for lunch I saw this message scrawled on the wall overlooking the water near the Bucks County Playhouse. "Love now while there's still time." Thanks for the free advice graffiti artist! Luckily I wasn't hit by a car while taking this photo, so I do still have time for love.