"After you're dead and buried and floating around whatever place we go to, what's going to be your best memory of earth? What one moment for you defines what it's like to be alive on this planet. What's your takeaway? Fake yuppie experiences that you had to spend money on, like white water rafting or elephant rides in Thailand don't count. I want to hear some small moment from your life that proves you're really alive."
— Douglas Coupland
my husband started a tumblr. you should look at it.

http://thedukeofbriar.tumblr.com/

best,
ashley
happy easter!



the tomb is empty.

Brunchery

William and I are on a quest for the best brunch in Chicago. I'm a slave to graduate school 90% of the time, so Saturday morning brunches are something we treasure. I have also found that a lot of restaurants suck at brunch. So far, I think Lula's is the best we've had, but we haven't been in a couple of months so I need to go back for.... research. Cough.
Anyway, last week we went to a new brunch place right down the street from us called Kanela. It's byob, which is awesome. Champagne brunch, anyone?



We brought cheapy $7 champagne, but they had Perrier glasses that made me feel much more posh than I actually am.



We got this greek lemonyness filled phyllo dough thingy to "start" but I pretty much ate the whole thing. Oops.



Then I got the bacon waffle. Yummmmmmmmmmmmm.



Only downside? The coffee kinda sucked. And when you're drinking an entire bottle of champagne at 11am, you kinda need the coffee to be good.



We'll be back, especially since it's so close to our place. However, I do believe Lula's still takes the cake.



On an unrelated note, I am writing this from Door County, Wisconsin. I'm on Spring break and we're staying in William's uncle's cabin. It is glorious, and idyllic, and I can't imagine a better place to spend a week detoxing from the stress that was last quarter. I am doing lots of sewing and knitting, prepping my stock for my soon to be open etsy store. I can't wait to share all of this with you- hopefully next week sometime.

Cheers!

oh, pho

After school one day, stephanie decided I needed to try pho.I had never even heard of pho. So Ellice, Dan and I went to chinatown and William met us there.

Please excuse my general raggedyness, this was after midterms.



Little did I know that my entire life was about to change.

Dan has sensory issues. He can't eat soup or pasta (unless it has ridges on it), and basically just eats chicken. So because he's weird he didn't have pho. Ellice didn't either, she had bun, which I had a taste of. It was amazing and I'm ordering it as soon as it warms up outside (which apparently isn't happening anytime soon).
This is the stuff they bring you to put in your pho. Thai basil, cilantro, sprouts, limes, peppers.

It was SO GOOD. Apparently I was too busy stuffing my face to take a picture, which is super annoying. I've been back, and also used this recipe to make it on my own for friends. IT IS SO GOOD. Eat it. Now.

the great blizzarding of twenty eleven


In case you didn't hear, it snowed a bit in Chicago this week. Twenty inches, to be exact.

It was my very first blizzard.... and my favorite day so far this year. My school actually closed for the first time in a bazillion years, so I also got my very first snow day!





It was so surreal, our street literally looked like the apocalypse. Hutch was able to run freely down our street and Broadway, because the plowing hadn't started yet and there were no cars on the road.

After the snow stopped pummeling down, we stomped down Clark to take advantage of my day off and go to the Duke of Perth.

What better way to spend a blizzard than at a fireside table with a hot (spiked) cider?
My dear sister-in-law got married.

I flew in on Friday morning and immediately left to attend the bridesmaid luncheon.



Oh. My. Gosh. was it amazing. The hostesses thought of every little detail. Bridal ornaments hanging from chandeliers, individually decorated cookies as place cards, flowers flowers flowers, desserts desserts desserts, amazing food, and amazing company.

My other sister-in-law (not the bride), maid of honor, mother-in-law

My lovely nieces.

Non-bridal sister-in-law (so many hyphens), bridesmaid.


The bride is the blonde! Glowing, wasn't she?