...GOIN' TO THE CHAPEL......

If you are a regular here, you KNOW what last Saturday was....

Jessica and Blain got married!

It was a day to die for, PERFECT weather, sunny, a slight breeze, not to hot, not to cold...Perfect I tell you, just like the bride. She looked perfectly beautiful.  The groom looked pretty darn handsome too, let me just say.

Anyway, we had a very busy hectic week here last week.  Friday the tent people arrived with the tent, and all the tables, etc I had rented.

(Jessica getting ready to 'jump the broom'....)

 This was AFTER we began 'embellishing' the yard.  I had the fortune of one very talented friend, Donna who did the flowers and other 'touches' around here.  Jessica and I had made some lanterns out of jars, with rubber bands and spray that made them frosted glass. I got Corbin and Mark involved in putting handles on them and Donna added hydrangea and pretty bows, they hung around on various hooks, branches, and brackets around the yard.

We also used some old wicker funeral spray baskets and some great antique watering cans for flowers.  We decided to use garden flowers, and again, Donna and her mom Mary came through big time. GORGEOUS flowers, I can not thank them enough.

Jessica carried roses that I can not describe, so I'll show you a picture.  These were mixed with hydrangeas for her bouquet.  They were as unique and beautiful as she is.

I decided to put my kitchen table outside again.  Mark made enough leaves to stretch it out to it's full length... one BIG table.

I decided to stick it on the deck, and use my deck furniture in the yard, to create a 'lounge' area.  I liked it.  So much so, that the 'lounge area' is still there.  Kitchen table, on the other hand is back in the kitchen.

Also on the deck, I used old wash tubs for beer.  They looked fun, I think. And they worked quite well. The hot tub, had floating lily pads that were lit and changed colors along with some of the fairy berries.

 What, you may ask, are fairy berries?

They are cute little balls that cost way to much money and light up on and off.  In addition to the hot tub they were scattered all over the yard, tucked here and there.  I think they were a hit, some seemed to have disappeared!!!  I love a good party favor!  Speaking of that, we had a candy bar.  NOT a big chocolate one.. a table with jars of fun candy in various shades of lavender, of course.  It was fun, we had personalized hershey's kisses and M&M's with their names and pictures! So cute.  Fortunately, for my body, most of the candy went.

I had cute little bottles tied on bamboo holding flowers lining my sidewalk in the front. And on my front porch a GIANT portrait of Jessica and Blain.  Blain thought maybe I should always have it there... he cracks me up.

I resurrected a chair from my cellar chair collection to use in the front.  Bought a couple frames at Michaels, spray painted them and painted boards with chalk board paint to put in them.  These directed people to where the fun was.

While we were woking outside, beauty was happening inside.  There was hair being done, makeup being applied, and mimosa's being drunk.

The girls were having a lot of fun.  Scarlett's fiancee Dan was running around taking pictures and doing a great job might I add!

We had a whole lot of beauty in that room, a bevy of beautiful young women....

Believe it or not, we were all ready ON TIME, and everything I needed to do around here was done.

Amazing...

Stay tuned for the ceremony...

ON THE #1 COUNTDOWN.....

We are on the countdown! Jessica's wedding is 11 (COUNT 'EM) days from today.

Whoa....

What am I doing sitting here blogging???  There are things to be completed, decisions to make (like WHAT dress I'm going to wear). But, I need some coffee, so I may as well prolong this moment~ right? Right.

you are such a bad influence on me.

In addition to OUR wedding hysteria. There have been a few other things going on.  Like other people's weddings.

We attended the wedding of one of our daughter's friends.  Scarlett and Heather have been friends since they were little girls, and she lived across the street.  It was a lovely wedding, beautiful bride and groom, and bridesmaids (one in particular was stunning)!!! Interesting venue, the ceremony was at the Swedish Children's Museum in Chicago.  I like these out of the box wedding places.  We had a lot of fun, I so enjoy all of Scarlett and Dan's friends.

I was in Houston last week. Always a good place to be.  It was a typical trip, too much eating and partying. HOT, sunny and Texas-like.  We didn't do anything too crazy, just lived like normal married people.  We flew in to Chicago on Friday night and had to hit the ground running. Our flight was delayed. Like 3.5 hours delayed, so we jumped on another flight. Got to say, having a husband who flies ALL THE TIME helps move you up the stand-by list quickly!

Saturday, no lounging around for us, Corbin and Mark had some tree work to do (to accommodate the tent for the wedding) and I had food to make for Ravinia.  It was our annual family night at Ravinia. This years selection was James Taylor.

(picture from Time out Chicago)

Now, Mark and I have seen him many times, but he's still great.  A bit older (aren't we all), still rumpled and laid back.  All songs seem a little slower, but he's just as wonderful a musician as ever.  Here's a snippet of a great time Trumpy-style.

Corbin & Ally

Jessica & Blain

...normal...

Dan & Scarlett

when did we get so old?

we had a candle problem! 

and then... it got weird.... or maybe it just got normal.  Suddenly, everyone needed a shave....

and, I mean EVERYONE...

Bet you wish you knew how to have fun....

HEAT, BIRTHDAYS AND POLICEMEN.....

Last week was a week of craziness... we were running the whole week. Monday, Mark and I headed into Chicago to do a little tweaking of the condo.  He stayed the night to continue tweaking on Tuesday.  I took the train home as I had to take the doglets to the vet for their day of fun and rabies. Poor little Clem is getting skinnier and skinnier. She a whopping 3.6 lbs.  Her spine is kind of like a stegosaurus.

Wednesday, we celebrated Corbin's birthday as we always do, at the pool with a cook out.  It was SO delightful in Chicagoland last week... a balmy 100+ everyday.  Note that this is at 6:48 in the evening. 

We all had to stay wet, or in the house, but everyone had a fun time. It's always nice to have a family pool day.  He was very happy with his gifts.

 I can't believe he's actually 24.  Wasn't it just yesterday he was a 4 year old getting a battery jeep and recovering from a broken hip?

 My pictures aren't anything too special, my camera was hot too!

sporting some new Ray Bans

After the party Mark and I headed into Chicago to catch the fireworks from the boat.  Just the two of us.  It was a lovely night for a sunset cruise. Chicago really needs to step it up with the 4th of July again.  IT'S A BIG DAY FOR OUR COUNTRY, the fireworks need to be better than the every Wednesday and Saturday display.  C'mon Rahm, put a crowbar in the coffers and put on a show worthy of this great city.

The sunset was stellar, the night sail was delightful and the prosecco was delicious.

Happy 4th.....

 Thursday we shot into Chicago to hopefully catch Corbin and Ally on their helicopter tour.  That was Corbin's present from Ally- how cute is this picture?

My daredevil son said it was a little white knuckle (ish) taking off... but he loved it!

And rounding out this long picture heavy post is today...

What a day I had today.....

For starters... I stroll into the downstairs bathroom this morning to blow dry my hair, and it is flooded... like measurably flooded.  Water is dripping from the toilet tank, all over- WHAT A MESS.  But nothing like the mess in the cellar, where it all dripped down and ruined some of my stash of yarn and a lovely collection of odd size shipping boxes (that I saved to ship stuff in).  I've been meaning to clean out that corner of my laundry room..but not like this.  UGH.. Water was dripping from the rafters right by an electrical box.  Should have headed back to bed... but no, I had to take the dogs to the groomer.

Sooooo......

I was stopped at a stoplight in DeKalb, (a neighboring town) with one little red car in front of me; we were both turning left.  The light changed, I was a little slow on following him, as I was looking at my itchy eyelid in the mirror.  As I pulled into the intersection I saw a car coming like a bat out of hell toward us... like at least 80 miles an hour.  The little red car was slowly turning, the oncoming car braked, his tires were smoking he was swerving my way, I swerved to the right and closed my eyes.  I heard the big crash, but felt nothing.  He missed me. I don't know how, but he did.  He hit the rear of the car in front of me, spinning it around, ran through the intersection and hit the curb.  The two guys got out, the driver fell down, got up and they ran.  In two different directions.  I  got out to check on the guy who was hit, he was okay.  Then I SWEAR no fewer than 20 squad cars appeared.  There were cops everywhere.  As some of them got out, they put on bullet proof vests and had big guns.  Like assault rifle, sniper guns.  And my doglets and I were in the middle of this.  An unmarked policeman came over and asked me if I was okay, and told me where to park so they could get a statement from me on what I saw.  I was shaking like crazy.  When the policeman took my info, he told me that the two guys were involved in an armed robbery.  Later I heard that they did indeed catch them.

I told him I was not having a good day... I said my bathroom was flooded and now this.  He said ' you are having a good day,  he came awfully close to hitting you'.  He was so right... so, so right.  The more I think about it, the happier I am to be alive, and unscathed.  And, believe it or not, not a piece of debris that was flying everywhere hit my car.

Lucky, lucky girl I am... and I'm really grateful for my allergic itchy eyelid... let me tell you.... really grateful.