12th Annual Christkindlmarket

I love visiting the Christkindlmarket!


The open-air, German-style market showcases handmade ornaments, accessories, clothing and gifts, plus live entertainment. Also features German food and drink such as beer, hot spiced wine, potato pancakes, bratwurst, schnitzel, strudel and more. It takes place at Daley Plaza, 50 West Washington Street.


My favorite vendor is the Sweet Castle...of course, since I have such a sweet tooth! They sell roasted nuts, gingerbread and german cookies. They also have a huge selection of chocolates and candy, popcorn and cotton candy! Yum!!!

Schutz Strawberry Shoes

I just purchased these cute navy suede shoes with rhinestone berrys. I love the practicality of the 2.75" heel. The shoe designer, Schutz, is brazilian.

One Sixty Blue Restaurant

One Sixty Blue is one of my favorite restaurants. The last time I went I got the rock shrimp gnocchi and the beef tenderloin..both were unbelievable. Also, you have to try the cheese that they bake in the oven...it is so good...and I have never had anything like it at another restaurant.

I also really like going to there "dust of that bottle night". They have it the last friday of every month. You bring your own bottle of wine (every month is a different type) and they pair it with a special menu. It's so much fun!

Go to One Sixty Blue! You will love it too!

Laquette Shirt

I just purchased this shirt fabulous shirt. I love the feeling of the ultra-soft, t-shirt like fabric, which creates a captivating look. Best of all, it fits perfectly!

http://www.laqette.com/

Ya-Ya Miller Pants

I love the fit of Ya-Ya pants.....long and lean, they fit perfect!

www.shopbop.com

Angel Innocent Perfume

I love the way Angel Innocent smells. It's a refreshing, flowery fragrance. This feminine scent possesses a blend of pure mandarin, honey, fresh almond and other exotic fruits. Accompanied by rich musk and amber. I like how it does not smell overly sweet or flowery.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

I hope everyone had a great thanksgiving! My mom made me my favorite thanksgiving dessert, pumpkin cheescake. I ate lots of it....it's so yummy!!!

Le Lan Restaurant

I took my best friend to Le Lan this weekend to celebrate his birthday. I love Le Lan, and the restaurant definitely made the birthday celebration special.

The food was excellent as always. For the appetizers we had the squash dumplings and the tofu. The tofu was amazing with pickled red onion and red chili vinaigrette.

I had the short ribs for my main entree and my friend had the tilapia. The presentation on the tilapia was beautiful.

One of the reasons I love Le Lan is because I think they have a fabulous reasonably priced wine list. We ordered a bottle of fantastic 99' Bordeaux that was only $54.

For dessert, they sent a speciial creme brulee with happy birthday written next to it. The creme brulee was some of the best I have ever had. We also ordered the chocolate banana pastillas, and this dessert was actually a let down. The coriader ice cream that came with the pastillas was yummy, but the rest of the dessert was just ok.

http://www.lelanrestaurant.com/

Gentle Fawn Vest

I purchased this cute Gentle Fawn vest from Metro Park. I love it!!!

http://www.metroparkusa.com/

Working Out and Eating Healthy

I must admit.....I've been a little depressed as of late. I have been eating lots of sweets and I feel like I may have put on a few pounds. Sure, a few pounds are a few pounds, and the average person would not be able to tell a difference, but I can tell. My stomach is definitely not as flat as it used to be over the summer. I feel like I no longer have my bikini figure. Most of all, I have no one to blame but myself.

After Thanksgiving, I am going to focus on my workouts and eating healthy.

Although I love sweets I am going to limit myself to a once a week indulgence.

As far as my workouts go, I am definitely going to start hitting the gym 6 times a week, like I used to (the past month I have only been making it into the gym 4-5 times a week). And I am talking about hard, long workouts lasting 2-3 hours each day. A combination of cardio and weightlifting. For cardio I am going to focus on cycling classes, kickboxing classes, and the stair machine. For weightlifting, I will attend my gym's body strength classes, as I feel like I get a much better workout then lifting weights solo.

Wish me luck!!

Meritage Cafe & Wine Bar

I just read that Meritage Cafe & Wine Bar is closing its doors for good on January 1.

This restaruant has been open since 1997, and has won a handful of awards. I dined here for the first time last summer, and, honestly, I can't believe the restaurant managed to stay open for 10 years.

I hated everything about it....the food was horrible, the wine list average, and the decor tired. Really, at these prices there are much better choices. For an appetizer, I had the crab cakes. My only explanation of these are that they really grossed me out. I left hungry because I could not finish my entree, which was salmon. It was not appetizing at all, and lacked flavor. It was probably the worst salmon I have ever had in a restaurant. Our waitress was indifferent to us and could have cared less if we were having a good time. Her response to our question to explain a certain menu item was, "yeah, it's good."

Luckily for me, we visited the nearby Hot Chocolate, where I ate lots of yummy desserts and drank some great wine.

The Tasting Room

I attended The Tasting Room's third tuesday tasting last night. Every third tuesday of the month they have a wine tasting feauturing thirty wines for $30.00, form 6-8 pm.

I probably won't be attending another wine tasting at The Tasting Room, because there are much better tastings in the city, and various factors made the wine tasting only so enjoyable.

I arrived promptly at 6 pm, and the room was extremely hot. I could not enjoy the wine because I was overheated. They did not turn on the air conditioning until around 7 pm, after receiving numerous complaints that the room was too hot.

They also mismanaged the appetizer circulation. They had cheese plates spread throughout the room, but removed them at 7 pm. Appetizers were also circulated, but minimally. Besides, the room was huge, and most of the time they were all gone before the servers had a chance to make it to the back of the room. These also stopped circulating the appetizers at 7 pm.

They also needed more people working the wine stations, as it would take forever to get a tasting.

As far as the wine itself, I was unimpressed by most of the offerings.

I'm not saying you should not check it out, I'm just saying there are much better options.

www.tlcwine.com

Sepia Restaurant

I just returned from a lunch at Sepia Restaurant. This was my first lunch, but have visited the restaurant for dinner on numerous occasions. It's definitely one of my favorite new restaurants.

The restaurant used to be a print shop, and is decorated in shades of brown, with lots of wood and exposed brick. It's a unique look that works well for this restaurant. I will definitely be visiting Sepia frequently in the future.

I love the bar area, and they serve some killer cocktails here, so if you don't eat here, I would still recommend visiting the bar area.

The food is excellent, and focuses on contemporary american food using fresh, locally produced ingredients. Start with the flatbread if you go, It's unbelievably good. The bison burger with blue cheese is a good lunch option. As for the entrees, the flat iron steak with potatoes is phenomenal, and the pork was just as good. For the sides, try the onion rings, which is usually not something I would eat, but, wow, these were so good, although not the healthiest! Also, the potatoes in duck fat are yummy.

I really enjoyed the chocolate crepes we had for dessert. For something lighter I would recommend the nectarine upside down cake.

http://www.sepiachicago.com/

Copperblue Restaurant

It is refreshing to dine at a restaurant and have a truly great experience....excellent food, outstanding service, and great ambience. Many, if not most, restaurants are completely horrible all together or have only one redeeming quality about them.

Copperblue is small and intimate, and the walls are lined with paintings that are an interpretation of work and play, a theme that weaves throughout the menu and dining experience. Some of the canvases depict the labor of field workers and water bearers and other express the pleasure of play, from children frolicking to adults enjoying music, dance and drink.

The food is wonderful and inventive. I started with the crispy saffron and Spanish ham rice croquettes with sofrito fondue. Honestly, I did not particularly care for this dish. However, the service is so outstanding that a waiter must have sensed this, and they took away the dish and let me order something else...and I did not even have to ask. Instead I ordered the grilled shrimp with blue crab salad and pestle curry mayo. It was fabulous. My friend started with the artichoke soup which was rich and creamy.

For the main courses, my dining companion ordered the organic Illinois pork, with basil gnocchi and green tomato. I loved the basil gnocchi! I chose the grilled beef strip loin, with swiss chard, cardoons, pancetta, orzo, and Barolo wine sauce. It was fabulous.

For dessert we had the chocolate mousse cake. My dining companion declared that it was so good that we had to order another.

As far as the service, it is top notch, and arguably the best in the city. The goal of Copperblue's service is to pamper you and make every diner feel completely welcome in their restaurant.

Copperblue is a great addition to the Chicago fine dining scene.

http://www.copperbluechicago.com/

Fornarina Sweater Boots

I just purchased these Fornarina Sweater Boots. They are different from the standard black boot, with a rib-knit sweater cuff and a buckle strap.

They also come in off-white and tan, and I liked these colors better, but I have been searching for a new black boot, so I made a smart purchase and went with the black.

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/

http://www.fornarina.com/

ComedySportz

This weekend I went to see the ComedySportz show. Basically, it's improvisational comedy played as a sport. Two teams battle it out in various games and are awarded points based on how effectiviely they make the audience laugh.

It was something different to do on a Saturday night, and I did find myself laughing occasionally. However, I found certain portions of the show annoying and corny rather than funny. I suppose many people find this type of humor funny. I was not overly impressed, but it was entertaining.

All in all, if you have never seen the show before, check it out.

http://www.comedysportz.com/

David Yurman Cable Candy Metro Ring

Christmas is coming, and I want this David Yurman ring!!! Sterling silver and 18-karat rose gold metro ring with pink sapphires.

http://www.davidyurman.com/

Herve Chapelier Bag

I am thinking of purchasing a Herve Chapelier bag. It would make a great gym tote!!!

Botkier Sasha Satchel

Buttercup loves Botkier!

Look at this beautiful Sasha Satchel. I have it in black, but love the look of this supple brown leather!

Maybe I can find it on sale now, since this was from the summer 2007 collection.

Pierre Hotel

The Pierre...luxury at its finest?

The Pierre, an ornate and beautiful hotel, is situated across from Central Park on the Upper East Side. The service is outstanding. Everyone working here is friendly and helpful. But is it really necessary to have elevator attendants at each elevator to press the floor buttons for you? I mean, really, how could you expect me to press the elevator buttons for myself (just kidding)! And I have to admit, it's fun driving around Manhattan in a Rolls Royce (one of the hotel perks if you stay here).

I had afternoon tea in the Rotunda, which is a small and stunning circular room decorated with trompe l'oeil murals. Around Christmas, there is a beautiful Christmas tree located in the center of the room. Partaking in afternoon tea was well worth it, just to spend a couple of hours in this room. However, I did not really care for the pastries/cookies that came with the tea.

This hotel might be a little stuffy for some people..it definitely has an old world luxury feel to it. The clientele tends to be a little on the older side, but I never felt out of place. If you prefer "hip and trendy" to "classic and luxurious" you might want to stay somewhere else. I would definitely stay here again.

Avenue M

Buttercup loves dessert, and for this reason she loves Avenue M.

Nothing beats the S'more Pie..... chocolate cake with a graham cracker crust, marshmallows, vanilla gelato, and toasted coconut.

http://www.avenue-m.com/

Canoe Restaurant

Canoe Restaurant should be on the top of your dining destinations if you plan on visiting Toronto. Critically acclaimed as one of Canada's best restaurants, Canoe offers breathtaking views of the city. The modern Canadian cuisine feautures entrees such as yukon potatoe gnocchi and peaches and cream corn chowder. Yum!!!

Best Chicago Restaurants

Chicago has a great dining scene. From deep dish pizza, to steakhouses, to molecular gastronomy, there is definitely something for everyone. Being a huge foodie myself, I spend lots of time checking out classic Chicago restaurants to new hotspots. Here is a list of my favorites, in no particular order.

Arun's Thai Restaurant - a unique fine dining experience
One Sixty Blue - best cheese experience in the city
Coco Pazzo - best italian in the city
Alinea - have to go at least once!
Le Lan - my favorite restaurant...i take lots of friends here
Shanghai Terrace - i love the peninsula and i love shanghai terrace!
Les Nomades - french food at its best
Charlie Trotter's - food is o.k., but this is all about the experience
Tru - caviar staircase anyone??? I like the cart of petit fours
Naha - unbelievably awesome!
May Street Market - gnocchi with parmesan cheese and truffle oil is simply the best
David Burke's - david burke's knows steak!!!
Sepia - yummy flatbread
Lou Malnati's - nothing says Chicago like to die for deep dish pizza
Gene and Georgetti's - you must order the veal parmesan
Kevin - my mouth is watering think about my last meal here
MK - pomme frites with truffle cream...awesome!

Moschino Cheap and Chic Pumps

I love ebay!!!!!

I just won these fabulouse Moschino Cheap and Chic Pumps that I have wanted since last season. However, I could not justify the $495 price tag. Purchase price on ebay....$42. Awesome!!!

I love the cute lock and key charms, and satin and velvet bows. So cute!!!!

Bailey 44 Multilayer Top

This Bailey 44 Multilayer Top is a deal! Now 70% off at Nordstrom's, bringing the price to only $29.99. I just purchased one for myself. It's a very funky look, with different colors and lengths, creating the illusion of three lived in layered tanks. Get one for yourself before they are all gone.

http://shop.nordstrom.com/

Bailey 44 Color Block Miniskirt

I had been hunting for a perfect miniskirt for quite sometime. When I spotted this color block miniskirt from Bailey 44, I knew I had found the perfect party miniskirt.

May Street Market

Wow!! May Street Market is my new favorite restaurant!

When you first step into the restaurant you are greeted by a friendly and welcoming host. The hospitality and service continue throughout the dining experience, and the waiters are helpful and knowledgeable about the menu.

The food is fabulous and focuses on Contemporary American cuisine. The chef uses fresh, locally produced ingredients to create wonderful dishes. Some of my favorites were the maytag blue cheesecake appetizer and the gnocchi with parmesan cheese and truffle oil.....I think it was the best gnocchi I have ever had. The wine list focuses on wines throughout the world and includes well known and lesser known varietals. The list is reasonably priced. And being a dessert person, I can honestly say the desserts are sinful!! Definitely don't skip dessert!!

I will definitely be back to May Street Market on a regular basis.

Tango Sur Restaurant

I bet lots of people are going to be very upset by my review of Tango Sur because everyone seems to love it. But, honestly, I thought it was horrible.

Ever since I visited Argentina I have been busy trying every restaurant that serves empanadas. I love, love, love them!! I have been to some restaurants where the empanadas are so good I almost feel like I am back in Buenos Aires. The empanadas at Tango Sur made me realize that I was at some crowded, annoying restaurant with bad service in Chicago where people think they are eating quality argentinian steak. And by the taste of this steak, it's not from Argentina.

And, lots of people say this place is a good bargain? I don't consider paying $20 for cheap steak that was served to me overcooked a good bargain.

Then, some say this is a good date place? If some cheap guy ever took me on a date to Tango Sur, I definitely would not be talking to him again. I know good steak, and this place isn't it. It doesn't have to be Kobe beef, but come on.

And call me a snob, but give me a decent wine glass. And people actually wait 2 hours to eat here?

Everyone who loves this restaurant can hate me for this review, but, really, have you ever had good steak?

Cosmopolitan Toronto Hotel

I love Toronto. It's a great city with friendly people. During my last visit I stayed at the Cosmopolitan Toronto Hotel. It's a contemporary, luxurious hotel, and It was feautured in Conde Nast's Traveller's Hot List in 2006.

I loved the Zen feeling of the hotel. Each room has yoga mats and incense as part of the turndown service. Other ameneties include 400-thread count Egyptian cotton linens, an ensuite washer and dryer, plush bathrobes, towels and natural bamboo slippers. The rooms also come with a full kitchen - complete with 6 appliances, china and utensils as well as hardwood floors, and LCD flatscreen TVs.

http://www.cosmotoronto.com/

BomBon Americano

I have a horrible sweet tooth. I get my fix at BomBon Americano. Yum, Yum, Yum......

North Pond Restaurant

I wanted to try North Pond for a long time, and was extremely disappointed by the outcome.

I was underwhelmed by the food, service, and atmosphere. Maybe I am just extremely picky, but this restaurant really lacked in lots of areas.

First of all, the food was a complete let down. The amuse bouche almost made me throw-up. Literally, I was gagging and drinking tons of water just to get the taste out of my mouth. Now, this could be due to the fact that liver pate just really isn't my thing, but my dining companion did not care for it either. For an appetizer I had the sweet corn soup which was just o.k. Again, I wasn't like "Oh my gosh! This is so good!". Also tried the beet salad, and, what can I say, it was beet salad. For my main dish I had the cannelloni with ricotta. It actually lacked flavor...in other words, not so good. The dessert was an extreme disappointment. The raspberry and vanilla pot-de-creme just didn't do it for me. Don't get me wrong, it was tasty but I like sweet desserts, and this wasn't sweet at all. What bothered me about this is the waiter recommended it after I implied I was in the mood for something sweet.

And, the service was definitely off. Horrible spacing between the courses, waiters did not know much about the menu items, etc.... They did print cute birthday menus for me and wrote happy birthday on my dessert, which was nice. However, this is standard practice at any nice restaurant.

And the view...o.k. I guess it's nice, especially for Chicago. But, I was sitting inside, so I really did not get to gaze at the lake all that much. I really think they should have sat us outside since it was one of my birthday dinners, but I guess they did not think so.

Also, I really did not care for the decor of the restaurant. And, all in all, I can think of dozens of more romantic restaurants. I probably won't be back to North Pond. Maybe I just had a bad experience, but one bad experience is enough for me.

Jeffrey Campbell Flawless Boots

I just purchased these killer boots!!! I love, love, love them!!!! This pic shoes them in brown, although I purchased them in red.

Tarina Tarantino Barbie Bracelet

I just purchased this Tarina Tarantino barbie cuff bracelet. I think it's adorable. I have not had a chance to wear it yet, but I am looking forward to seeing it sparkle.

What do you think?

http://www.tarinatarantino.com/

Arun's Thai Restaurant

I have wanted to dine at Arun's for such a long time! Afterall, Arun's is considered the best Thai restaurant in the country, and I wanted to see if it lived up to the reputation.

When you step into Arun's you feel like you have been transported to Thailand. The beautiful interior is decorated with ornate thai artifacts and beautiful vibrant paintings that cover the walls. My seat was overlooking a beautiful mural depicting the life and death of Buddha, and unique Thai dolls displayed in a mahogany cabinet.

The 12 course tasting menu ($85/person) begins with six appetizers served degustation style followed by four family-style entrees and two desserts (thai food is traditionally served banquet style). In fact, there is no menu presented to you at Arun's. Each dish that presents itself is a surprise, which is part of Arun's unique experience. The food does not fail to amaze, and is prepared with top-notch ingredients and creativity. The presentation and attention to detail makes the experience even more special and memorable (such as tomatoes shaped as roses and carrots carved to resemble goldfish complete with eyes and fins).

The food is complemented with a stellar wine list with many unexpected choices.

Although some would argue that it is silly to spend so much money on Thai food, I would beg to differ. Each course served was complex and required extensive preparation. I would almost consider $85 per person to be a great bargain. Besides, the memories that you have from such a great dining experience are well worth the price.

In Chicago's vast and excellent fine-dining scene, I would place Arun's in second place, following Alinea, and before Tru.

The Four Seasons Las Vegas

I love The Four Seasons.

And, The Four Seasons is the only hotel in Vegas that offers a refined and relaxing environment, away from all the glitter, excitement, tackiness and crazy gambling. Don't get me wrong, it's fun to party in Vegas, but I like to come back to a hotel where I can rest and relax.

The Four Seasons spa is the only way to go. I indulged in the Champagne mud wrap, which is an an intense detoxifying treatment. You can just feel the tension ease away as the mud gradually heats up.

And, Las Vegas is a city of indulgence and what better place to overindulge then by dining at Four Seasons. The Verandah restaurant has a beautiful outdoor terrace overlooking the lush gardens and Four Seasons pool. If you have a sweet tooth definitely try the chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream. Love steak? In my opinion, the Charlie Palmer Steak House in the Four Seasons, is the best in all of Vegas.

I love you Four Seasons Las Vegas! I can't wait to come back!!!!

Thanksgiving Dinner at the Seasons

Last year, I was very fortunate to have a "pre-thanksgiving" dinner at the Seasons Restaurant, located in the opulent Four Seasons Hotel downtown Chicago, and it was a fabulous experience.

I would really love to go back for another "pre-thanksgiving dinner" this year! Great food, great wine, and great service.

But, what really stands out about my experience here was the dessert that I had. I had the S'mores and that sounds simple enough, but they were like nothing I have ever eaten. The ingredients were simply grahm cracker, toasted marshmallow, chocolate, cognac sauce, and smokey ice cream. What made the dessert so unique was the smokey ice cream. The waiter told us it was infused with tobacco, and it really tasted like smoke! It was the strangest dessert I've ever had, and I don't even think the smokey ice cream even tasted that great, but it was just the the fact that it was so different....quite bizzare.

Birthday Dinners Don't Get Better Than This!

This year, I celebrated my birthday by eating lots of birthday dinners. And Charlie Trotter's is definitely the best place to have a birthday dinner! I love Charlie Trotter's! And, I loved everything about my experience here.

I enjoyed the food. By enjoyed I imply the following: I thought it was good but not great. Only 2 of the courses "wowed" me. In particular, I loved the toasted milk ice cream with nutmeg. And, I have to hand it to Charlie Trotter's....I have hated lamb my entire life. I have never enjoyed it, I just don't like it. However, the lamb shoulder with manchego cheese and parsley definitely "wowed" me. It was simply unbelievable, and this is coming from someone who does not like lamb. One course I actually hated...the cockles with serrano ham. I could not eat this course and neither could my ex-boyfriend (I know, I'm crazy, who goes to Charlie Trotter's with an ex-boyfriend!!). Charlie Trotter's more than graciously replaced this course with a fabulous beef dish. And, even though I honestly think the food is better at some of the other restaurants in this league (Tru, Alinea, etc...), for some reason I enjoyed my experience at Charlie Trotter's infinitely better.

And, yes, you have to order some great wine when you dine at Charlie Trotter's. Unfortunately, we didn't order the 1949 Haut Brion, but the half bottles of Volnay, Montrachet, and Tokaji were all fabulous and more than sufficient. However, I informed my ex-boyfriend that when his hedge fund takes off he better not forget about me, and that we are coming back to Charlie Trotter's to order some yummy wine.

The service...so great, so perfect. Not pretentious in the least, which is one of the reasons I like Charlie Trotter's so much. Alot of restaurants of this caliber and price have an air of pretention about them, and I hate this. In fact, this is one of the reasons Tru annoys me. But, at Charlie Trotter's they are so nice and friendly and really make you feel happy about dining at the restaurant. They were so sweet, and gave us a tour of the kitchen and the wine cellar, where I kept gasping in awe at all the fabulous bottles of wine.

And, most surprising of all, when I was leaving they gave me a gift bag. I have actually never encountered this before and was rather surprised. They gave me the "Charlie Trotter's Cooks at Home" Cookbook and another book called "Les Grandes Tables du Monde" (Great restaurants Around the World). And being a crazy foodie, this is the perfect book for me. They also gave me an organic yuzu-miso vinaigrette. It made me wonder if they do this for everyone who celebrates a birthday here. I have celebrated some special occasions such as anniverseries and birthdays at some extremely nice restaurants, and never have I received a gift. It just goes to show you how classy Charlie Trotter's is.

I have decided I will definitely be back to Charlie Trotter's for my birthday every year from now on. Nothing else will do other than Trotter's!! I wish everyone could celebrate their birthday at Charlie Trotter's, at least once.

My Current Fashion Obsession

Chicago is my kind of town, but it's a cold town, and cold towns call for lots of hot coats. What better addition to your closet than this beautiful Chulo Pony coat. With a funnel neck, bell sleeves, cinched waist and full skirt, you will make an Audrey Hepburn like entrance to all the holiday parties. And, the luxe vermillion color will guarantee that you stand out in the sea of boring black coats.

http://www.chulopony.com/