Marina & Bill's Ceremony at the Lincoln Park Conservatory

A view from the back of the space, just before guests arrived.

Yesterday, I had the honor of officiating Marina and Bill's ceremony at the Lincoln Park Conservatory. They are such a sweet couple! They are also very laid back. When I asked Marina what her Maid of Honor would be wearing, she said she didn't know - she was leaving it up to her. I love that! (And Nadia looked great in her green outfit, as you can see in the photo below.)

Being nature lovers, this was the perfect spot for Bill and Marina's ceremony. They didn't want all the bells and whistles, but rather something that would reflect their tastes. And so, they picked a beautiful, natural space. They gathered their closest friends and family members and enjoyed an intimate celebration.

Their good friend, Nick, provided the musical accompaniment on the saxophone. It was simply magical when Marina walked in to Glen Miller's "Moonlight Serenade."  The music filled the space and set the tone for the day. Another perfect touch.

Congratulations, Marina and Bill. I wish you all the best! Much love to you both!

Show Room - ceremony took place on the path in front of the white lilies.

Bill and Marina after the ceremony. Marina opted to forgo the traditional bridal bouquet.
Instead, she wore a green orchid in her hair. Gorgeous! 

The bride and groom with the Maid of Honor and Best Man

BYOB Painting Party!

Eliane giving me some painting tips

If you live anywhere in or around Chicago, you know all about the flooding we've endured. If you live near the airport (like me!) you have horror stories of nightmarish commutes for the past week. Therefore, it was a lovely distraction from the weather woes to enjoy a girls night last Friday. Organized by my sister, I joined a group of lovely ladies for a BYOB Painting Party at  The Art Station Studio in Park Ridge.

It was so much FUN!!!! 

Here I am with the owner, artist Eliane Balsewich, getting some pointers on my technique (or maybe the lack thereof).  

The great thing about this (besides getting to drink wine and eat goodies with friends) is that you don't need to know how to paint. Eliane and her team of artists will provide you with as much help as you need. Heck, they're even willing to do the finishing touches, if you like!

Moni & Rosemary with their finished work

The happy artists!

Everyone picks their own project to paint - our group leaned towards flowers and booze. You can also choose to stick with a theme for the group. Eliane mentioned that a local book club had their meeting at the studio and each person painted something related to the book they read. I love that!

I think this would be a great outing for just about any group, for any occasion - bachelorette party, birthday, you name it. Wouldn't it be fun to have a baby shower where everyone paints something for the nursery? 

Whatever the reason, I highly recommend contacting Eliane at The Art Station Studio to organize your own BYOB Painting Party. 

And she'll even let you pain something like this:

My octopus dutifully guarding the bookshelf

Finding the Right Partner

A Lego Save the Date!

Check out this save-the-date video that I came across on one of my favorite blogs, When Geeks Wed.

I want to be invited to this wedding!

Cupcake Love for Nerds and Geeks!

This morning I was in a funk. It's been a long week. And it's only Wednesday.

It doesn't help that I'm mourning that fact that Walking Dead is over for the season. And then, to make matter worse, last night I watched the end of Doctor Who season two. And, of course, bawled my eyes out. 

But then I saw these:

Doctor Who cupcakes

Walking Dead cupcakes

This totally made my day! And if there was ever any question as to why I love Luscious Layers Bakery - I rest my case. 

So go over there right now and tell Caitlin she's brilliant. And buy some cupcakes. (And get me one, too.) 

An Evening in Nerd Heaven!

Last night I was in nerd heaven, or as my husband called in, "Nerdvana." We went to Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson's lecture, "Cosmic Perspective," which was offered as part of the Elmhurst College Roland Quest Lecture Series. 

And I even wore my blue galaxy scarf. (Hey, don't judge)

It was great! His presentation was funny, enlightening, and passionate. One of the highlights of the evening was when he discussed the demotion of Pluto. Neil (well, we are on a first name basis - in my fantasy life, that is) discussed the reasoning behind the decision to remove Pluto's planet status. After a lengthy discussion, he said, "Pluto had it coming."

He asked if there were people in the audience who were still upset about the whole Pluto issue. Several folks raised their hands (including my hubby). He then walked over to his computer and clicked to this:

Pluto defenders: "Get over it."

During the lecture and the Q & A that followed, he touched on topics ranging from the inarguable genius of Newton (and if you do try to argue with him, he'll tell you to "shut up forever"), killer asteroids, science education, the Higgs boson particle (explaining it with a Hollywood party analogy) and his views on the existence of God. See..... nerd heaven!

And now that I have confirmed my nerdiness, I'm going to go read The Space Chronicles. (Yes, I bought it at the lecture.)