my friend Jaimee

So my friend Jaimee got engaged a little bit ago and she so nicely asked me to be a bridesmaid...so i accepted! With her cute little package that asked me the question (hahaha) i got a book entitled "how to be a bridesmaid". I have been reading it religiously. I have learned a LOT of stuff. So when her and her fiancee Joe moved back to the city I offered to help them move into their new pad! I had to start my bridesmaid duties early! And included in those duties are taking pictures of the couple throughout their entire engagement...so thats where the slideshow comes in! Enjoy!!! (my arms were KILLING me the day after the move! But it was fun!)

Bank Lane Bistro

So the first week I got home, my friend Bob and I went to Bank Lane Bistro in Lincolnshire. He used to work there and the chef happened to have graduated from my HS. I took pictures of the food and I wanted to post them...but i never got around to it. Now I have time. So enjoy the beauty! We did the 9 courses and it was GREAT and a lot of fun seeing Bob!

Thesis

So i can finally post a blog about my thesis...IT'S DONE! Yes...i've been working on it since november of 2007 and I am finally done. It should be in France. If anyone is interested in reading it please email me and I will send it to you. Although it was about 2 pages short and not the best quality, I learned a lot about myself, the topic and it was the best experience I've had with schooling! I am proud to have finished this! I hope i get my diploma and that I get to go to Paris in October to receive it. Thanx for bearing with me through my struggles...but it's OVER now :) YIPPEE!! Off to celebrate.

Table 52

Have you heard of Art Smith? Oprah's Chef. Well, for Jen's (my favorite person in chitown!) bday I took her to Table 52, Art Smith's restaurant. It's southern home cooking! It was AMAZING! I mean you can just see in the pictures. I surprised her and she had no clue...but she had expressed the want to go there. So it killed two birds with one stone...her b-day and me getting to try this new famous restaurant!

Enjoy!

Rising Stars!

Sorry again for the time off. I have a few posts I want to post though....so you'll get a handful of them :) Anyway, I went to this tasting on May 19th for Rising Star Chefs. It was AMAZING! Not only did I get some interviews, possible jobs, and some Stages...but i tasted some of the best food in chicago from the best chefs!


Here is my slideshow of the evening! I wish I had taken pictures of me :) but instead you have pictures of the beautiful dishes that the chefs made!!! (i did the best i could...but i think i left some pictures out! I was way too excited to be taking pictures! hahaha)

Click here! to get the list of chefs, restaurants and dishes that they prepared along with some great recipes! I wish you all could have experienced what i did :)

LONG overdue

I am sorry I have been so slow to post. I, however, feel a little more adjusted now. I've seen most of my friends, I have a job working at Moe's Southwest Grill (on the corner of Willow and Waukegan- come visit or email me for more details)...temporary...helping out my cousin, and I have gone to see all of my Dr's. Overall things are great. I'm a happy camper. I still miss Paris, but I know being home is good for me! So far I've seen two shows and I'm going to another one Thursday night...so i'm LOVING the fact that i get to see more theatre! School is still up in the air...but I'll keep you posted and I do have an expected start date of Aug 18th. My thesis is pretty much done. It will be signed, sealed and delivered by next week. If you want to read it, let me know! I've been cooking EVERY night (except for the nights I go out...which haven't been many) Mom and dad appreciate that....but NOT the whole food grocery bills!!! Other than that, here is a picture from mother's day with my family that I went to lunch with!









Btw- I have a new website that is my professional website (it's on my new business cards!!). it's still under construction but stay tuned and I also promise I will be blogging more often now that I have my life under control! www.pennyshack.net

Shoot me an email and tell me how you are all doing and if you read this thing anymore. should i keep it up?!? i may start doing restaurant reviews...what do you think!?

Back home again in...

Illinois (not indiana...u know the song?!?!) anyway, I haven't forgotten about my blog readers....i just needed a few days to adjust! And although I am not PERFECTLY adjusted...i am better! My flight home was sad. Manuel took me to the airport and it was very sad leaving him. I got on the plane and bawled my eyes out. I was sitting next to some 21 yr old who lived in the marais and just got married to his 40 yr old boyfriend in paris. He was going to school out there. How sad. Anyway, I cried for a good part of the way home. The flight was under 9 hrs and we got home early. I stayed up the entire time! When i got to the airport I started bawling again cause I knew it was for real! I had to go through customs because I brought food home. Oh well. I saw mom and dad and it was surreal. Anyway, I knew I had to deal with what was at hand for me at that moment. That night I went to bed around 7:30...i stayed up as late as I could (woke up at 5 am paris time...7:30 pm US time was 2:30 am Paris time!).

The past few days I have been running errands and trying to take some time out for myself to get readjusted. I keep hearing things on the radio or seeing signs about Paris or Greece/Turkey (my cruise) which just makes me sad. Every once in a while I will break out in a crying spell...and then realize well, i'm kinda here for a while so suck it up! The coffee sux, I miss my roommate, my friends, and just life in Paris. I know this is a good change for me though. I am looking forward to what's next. I have been making dinner for mom and dad and I'm going to start baking next week for my friends who's shows i'm going to see.

In the meantime, stay tuned because I will be blogging...just not as often! Thanx to all who read my adventures while I was in paris! I promise i will have a life after paris ;) A bientot for now!