CHICAGO AT CHRISTMASTIME

There is nothing like the city of Chicago during the Christmas season! Definitely a FAVORITE for this Friday! Although I love small town Christmases, the Windy City always has our hearts. Back in July my mom saw a great Christmas in July special going on that involved the beautiful Drake hotel tea at the Palm Court. So, this has been in the works for months, but of course it would have to fall on the coldest day of the year so far, we are talking windchills in the single digits. But that did not deter us. We may have had to cut our evening short and miss a couple of the things on the itinerary I had planned, but we had an absolute blast so I’m sharing some highlights. Even if you just have one night in Chicago, you can do so many fun Christmas things. The possibilities are endless. All the holiday tees and lights made me dream of bringing the twin granddaughters here someday which we will definitely do when they get older.

 I didn’t get pictures of everything, especially the things outside, because quite honestly, my hands were too cold, even in my mittens to do so, lol. But I will share my favorites with you. I will also link to some of the festivities in case you want to plan them yourself.

We took the train in this time because now our South Shore line is faster, it takes the same amount of time to take the train in as it does to drive, two hours for us so at least we didn’t have to worry about driving in the city or parking.

 

 Our first stop fresh off the train was the London House hotel, which had a Holiday Tea in their Bridges lobby. 

The dessert tier here was so cute and we had lovely views overlooking the river. Savory Scones too.

Of course, I forgot my phone charger so a trip to the Apple Store was warranted and then we were able to check into our lovely suite. The Drake hotel is known to be haunted, and I think my mom felt a presence once, lol. BUT we LOVED having two bathrooms!

 

Next step was a little shopping, but I have to say I’m so sad at the state of malls. We wanted to go in and out of the outside shops, but it was just too darn cold, so we opted for Water Tower place and it’s another mall that is falling by the wayside just like all the others even the Macy’s store there has gone. But the Lego store is still there so had to snap a pic some of Chicago’s coolest buildings made out of Legos.

Now it gets really exciting, I got us tickets to Frosty's Bar (the original Christmas pop-up) on the northwest side of the city. It was so charming, the looks on everyone’s faces when they walked in and saw the lights was part of the fun. 

Plus, the cocktails were delicious. I even had to get some pictures on a pole to send back to Mr. Nine, ha ha ha.

 How cute is mom in the big chair!

Had a yummy shot with Sprinkles too.

So many great photo ops!

Then we went to Macy’s on State Street to check out the tree in the Walnut Room. You may remember we ate there once before in This Post. 

We were hoping the window displays would be spectacular, but unfortunately, they weren’t that great.

We walked up the road to the Daley Plaza for the Chriskindlmarkt. That’s the German market that comes to Chicago every year. Mr. Nine and I used to go every Thanksgiving weekend, but it had been a while. Mom had never been there, and it was so delightful to go on this night, even though it was freezing because it wasn’t as busy as it normally is on the weekends. Keep that in mind if you go to places like this as the weekends are crazy!.

I did my research on the best food there. I had followed an Influencer who had eaten everything there and gave her best booth options and she wasn’t wrong, number eight for Bob's Belgian, hot chocolate and number 16 for the Raclettte...hot cheese shaved and melted onto chewy baguettes! So good. 

Unfortunately, here is where we ended our night despite having your reservations for more Christmas cocktails, ha ha, but it was just too darn cold. You would think since we were leaving the market as it was closing there would be a ton of taxis around and for some reason, GPS was not jiving with where the Uber was to pick so we did not even get the Uber until the sixth attempt. Usually we walk everywhere in Chicago, but it was just too darn cold even bundled up to do it on this night. NO worries he hotel beds were warm and cozy!

I was so excited for coffee the next morning because we were going to Ralph's Coffee on Michigan, it is the coffee shop located in front of the Ralph Lauren store, and it did not disappoint! 

Delicious and precious and preppy! 

AND THIS RED COATis such a winner from Old Navy. 

Plaid Scarf is only $10 and with the Cute Socks, it was extra festive! LOVE this coat too!

Next the toured the Peninsula Hotel to see their beautiful Christmas decorations.

Time to get dressed for our second tea right within our hotel at the Palm Court. It was beautifully decorated! And how exciting that we got there just in time for the Christmas carolers and then the harpest! 

I must say I liked the savory tier of this tea better. Mom and I were contrasting the two teas and there were good things and things that could’ve been approved upon for both. But overall, wonderful experiences!

Delicious Crantini's!

Our last stop after the tea before our 4:05 train was the Mart, formally known as the Merchandise Mart, the biggest building in Chicago. On the seventh floor, they had an amazing vendor market Called One of a Kind with everything from art to food to fashion with so many unique options it wasn’t just some flea market, It was craftsman from all over the country in Canada selling their beautiful pieces.
The photo with the lights on the building is when Mr. Nine and I saw the light show there five years ago (Post Here), unfortunately this did not start until the night after mom and I were there or we would have gone to see it. It’s spectacular!

Missed on our itinerary were Pinkmas, Hubbard Inn, JoJo's Shake Bar and Santa Baby but we'll hit em' next year.

Fun little Holiday getaway 

with my mama! 

Have a festive weekend my dears!

Linking up with Momfessionals and Between Naps on The Porch // Thursday Fashion Files // I Do deClaire // Hello Monday

xoxo

PS: Mom and I got compliments on how festive we always looked, people told us it made them happy....it makes me happy too friends!

FRIDAY FAVORITES…BIRTHDAY IN CHICAGO EDITION

Well, here we were again, another birthday approaching and not really prepared for a big trip “trip” so we were lucky to hit the Windy City again for an overnight thanks to Mr. Nine! It worked out perfectly that Saturday with my actual birthday as I always think it’s so much more fun to do something neat on your actual day. Sharing a little bit of the time in Chicago with you all.

Had to get a pic with my sweet Girl Before I left!!

LOVED This LOOK..top is on sale for over 50% off

TOP HERE // JEANS HERE// SHOES HERE // NECKLACES HERE & HERE

 

1. Hoxton Hotel

Mr. Nine and I had walked past this Hotel in the Fulton Market River District last year on my birthday weekend and said we are going to stay there someday. I was able to go to the rooftop bar there in speakeasy with my girlfriends in September but was so excited to stay at night there with my beloved. 

It had such a cool vibe, different than downtown and we started the day with a little snack and a Mimosa for me in the lobby restaurant, Cabra

 

2. Trivoli Tavern

I literally must’ve checked Resy for a reservation at this restaurant, the Trivoli Tavern, which is recommended by my friend , 60 times, we were finally able to score an early reservation which is perfect for us and anyway as they are an hour behind us. The atmosphere was like a 1920s swanky Hollywood gangster vibe, lol.

We had some fabulous cocktails, ate red meat, lol and you should’ve seen how high that meringue was in person on the Butterfinger pie. They even brought a candle over in the ice cream, lol. 

The restaurant was down a cobblestone area and It felt a little like we were in Italy.

3. Lazy Bird Speakeasy

I was excited to take Mr. Nine back to the speakeasy, the Lazy Bird, in the basement of the Hoxton. Such a cool vibe there as well. Of course, us old folks were too early for the live music, but we still had fun.

4. Little Goat Diner

We’d love diners and talk about a spectacular one right down the road from our hotel. The little goat diner is one of the spinoffs from the original restaurant girl and the goat. The portions were huge, the cappuccino delicious and the flavors in the scrumptious homemade food amazing. I highly recommend this spot. 

I was a Pizza Angel, lol. mr. Nine got some really cool shots of this adorable lemon dress, but this one was just for fun!

Lemon Dress HERE // Canvas Sneakers HERE // Straw Bag HERE

5. Walk Around the West Loop

Boba & Shopping

The weather was still cold, but the sun was shining so we decided to walk around a little bit until check out. We checked out a Boba tea shop which I was calling Bobo all morning. I have never tried one of these and let’s just say it will not be a repeat. The little balls which people equate to big tapioca balls remind me more of snot balls, lol! You. But the shop was super cool, like an 80's video.

MY FAV JOGGERS HERE // LuLuLemon Everywhere Bag HERE // CASHMERE COAT HERE

I guess these pillows in the window display are Boba balls, lol!

My mood quickly was elevated after that drink when Mr. Nine took me in Free People and bought me some birthday gifts. I will be sharing those soon.

I also want to give a huge shout out to all my friends and family that showered me with love. When birthdays approach, especially as you get older, you think that people don’t really care even if you’re one of those people who tries to make others feel special, you don’t know if other people have the time or the notion to do so. A couple close to me did forget, lol. BUT I’m always so thrilled to get even just a happy birthday from y’all. I was going to list all the wonderful gifts and cards I got here, but I’m just going to savor them, and you know who you all are! Big BIG hugs. The only thing that would’ve made this birthday better is if every single person I love including all you far away blogger turned real life friends were in the same room with me!

Posts of the Week

Hopefully you caught the posts earlier in the week, especially the wonderful one on Wednesday where I shared my birthday visit with my mom to the Parker Grace Tea room. Such an enchanting place.

And shared lots of beauty products from Amazon on Monday

I'll be back Monday with the Easter PORCH!!!

Linking up with  Friday Favorites  // Metamorphosis Monday

xoxo

CHICAGO WITH FRIENDS

Ok friends I was so excited to bring you this post! I threw it together quickly, but I had to get it out there ASAP! If you know me, you know I love getting together with my fellow friends who I have met through blogging. I had not seen these ladies since December 2019 when we went to Windy City Live! Check that post out HERE. This overnight to Chicago with these ladies was especially sweet because I’m not going to see my other best gal pals in Nashville the first week of October! You’ll learn more why on my Instagram stories today.

 

But at least I got this overnight with these fabulous friends! We started off the day by me picking up Jill from at the train station and checking into our amazing hotel called the Aloft Chicago. Jill and I scoured a city block or two for picture opportunities, a great lunch with mimosa's.

BUY SWEATER HERE // LEGGINGS HERE // BOOTS HERE

 Then, we met the other ladies as after they checked in. Sweet Laura made us are coolest Sweatshirts with our hashtag as we are all blondes and then after we all got ready we went back to their room for Cheers with Champagne that Kathrine had brought.

And a pic of our Teddy Blake Bags all lined up!

USE CODE: TBAndreaN30

for 30% off!

Dear Caroline met us for dinner amazing restaurant called Cruz Blanca, as she had made a reservation for us. 

I presented Gucci Bee Bracelets to the ladies from my dear friend and jewelry designer Valerie from 2 Wonder and Wander.

USE CODE: CLOUDNINE10 for 10 % off all her jewelry!

Next, it was off to the Hoxton to the amazing bars there that I have been dying to try! Mr. Nine told me he was even jealous that I was getting into these bars with my gals. First up was Rooftop called Cabra. So cool, even a pool up there.

Why the sword? Now the ask in the other pocket I get!!

Then we went down to the very exclusive Speakeasy called the Lazy Bird. Big thanks to Scott for hooking us up. Very Exclusive!

It was so dark in there but this is what it looks like without people!

The night was so much fun!

We were sorry we only had our Caroline for Friday night, but we will see her again soon.

 

The next morning it was up in early for a class at the new gym called Rumble! A cardio boxing gym with amazing facilities! Spencer was our class instructor and man what a blast! Of course, I shouted “let’s get ready to rumble!” And I wanted to say "Mama said knock you out!" it was HIIT with bag punching in interval where the class was dived in tow and switch up twice between sides. SOOOOO FUN!!

All the gloves they rent are hanging there when you walk in.

Wearing our cute sweatshirts from Laura!

 

Oh, you knew we would fit in a yummy brunch! For this late morning deliciousness, we went to The Smith! I have always wanted to go there, and it wasn’t too far from our hotel. Of course we took our Teddy Blake bags. 

It was a little chilly outside so we got a great booth indoors.

Just look at that french toast and yummy egg Benedict's. Cheers friends.

A little shopping was to be had and then time to say goodbye. Til we see each other again...much sooner that this last time. Darn Covid.

 

 

To the ladies had at home and Jill and I returned to downtown so she could try and catch her train and I could get headed back home out of traffic for the end of the Notre Dame game which was being played at soldier Field! Gosh, if I would’ve known that sooner I just would’ve dropped Mr. Nine off there, LOL! Can’t wait to see these girls again soon.

Hope your week is started off GREAT!!!

 LINKING-UP with Metamorphosis Monday// // Love your Creativity // Hello Monday // Inspire Me Tuesday 

xoxo