Friday, September 30, 2011

Happy Birthday, Jackie


Today is Jackie's (my future sister-in-law) 30th birthday.  It also happens to be her golden birthday, which is awesome.  We'll be helping her celebrate a new decade tonight.  Jackie, you're as sweet as peach pie and I love you. Happy Birthday!

Jackie, MIL, Seester & me

And, my alma mater, the University of Illinois, is celebrating Homecoming this weekend.  Some out of town friends will be in and I can't wait to tailgate (you can see from the photos that we always have a good time).  Plus, the weather is telling me that fall is officially here and I love it.  It's going to be a great weekend.  Have a fun one!
Me, Matt, Jackie & Bob

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Emma Thompson Wisdom


Love this.

(can't remember where I found this so "thank you" to the blogger who posted it)

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Getting Personal


Meg Dickinson, a writer for the News-Gazette, has invited local bloggers to answer her "Getting Personal" questions. "Getting Personal" features a new local resident weekly. She'll be using blogger submissions in a post tomorrow.  Here are my responses...


Name, age, town of residence
Libby Kacich, 30, Urbana

Profession: Explain in one sentence what it is you do.
Market Champaign County as a premier Midwest destination for leisure, business and sports travelers.

What time do you typically get up? What do you do the first hour of the morning?
On a great day I'll get up at 6:00AM and do yoga or run. On a normal day I'm up by 6:45AM to take my dog Winston for a walk, eat peanut butter toast, check email and get ready for work.

What did you have for lunch today? Where? With whom?
Mushroom brie bisque from Sunsinger with my co-worker Angela.

Best high school memory.
I hosted a party at my house for our girls soccer team one weekend. All of us girls were downstairs hanging out when we heard the doorbell ring. Thinking it was just another teammate arriving we didn't stir, too much. Next thing we know, four new guests had joined us for the party.  They laughed and giggled along with us in their prettiest dresses and funniest wigs.  Turns out the guys soccer team wanted to play a joke on us.  The guys maintained character for an amazing amount of time as we all laughed hysterically. 
Tell me about your favorite pair of shoes.
With more than one hundred pairs, it's difficult to choose a favorite... I guess it'd have to be the pair I'm wearing right now.  Nine West, brown suede, knee-high boots, wedge heel that puts me at about 6', with a side buckle detail. I bought them on sale when I lived in New York City for $20 on my way to meet friends for brunch. They've proven to be a wonderful investment.

What does a perfect Sunday afternoon include?
My perfect Sunday afternoon includes a long walk with Bob, my husband, and our dog Winston followed by cooking up something delicious in the afternoon to enjoy that evening with family. Also, couch time!

Was there one book you read as a child that you still cherish? Own? Read?
Richard Scarry's Best Storybook Ever. I loved spending hours upon hours reading these stories with my mom. I loved making up stories for the family of bunnies on the first few pages.

Where on earth are you dying to go? Why?
Ireland. My husband and I just booked our tickets for a trip around St. Patrick's Day next year. I can't wait to pick up our rental car and explore the countryside!

Tell me about your favorite pet.
My dog Winston is the best. He's sweet, makes me laugh, loves to play and lights up my day. Winston loves peanut butter almost more than I do.

Have you discovered as you matured that you are becoming like one of your parents? Which one and how?
I'm very much like my mother. In more ways that I probably even know. And, I'm quite happy about it.

What would you order for your last meal?
Gino's East Pizza, Grimaldi's Pizza, Courier Cafe potato skins, one of my husband's grilled steaks, a bottle of Cakebread Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, one of my mom's twice baked potatoes and a cold fudge sundae with strawberry custard from Jarlings.

What can you NOT live without?
Yoga. It keeps me sane.

Who do you have on your iPod?
My ipod is packed in a box along with the rest of my house (I'm moving). I most recently was rocking out to Jay Z.

What’s the happiest memory of your life?
The night my husband asked me to marry him.

If you could host a dinner party with any three living people in the world, whom
would you invite?

Grace Bonney, Jay Z and my husband.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Laugh every day.

What’s your best piece of advice?
Take deep breaths.

What was your first job, and how much did you make an hour?
Detassling corn when I was 14. I think I may have made around $3.50/hour.

What was a pivotal decision in your career, and how did you arrive at that decision?
Moving back to Champaign after living in NYC for five years is the decision that brought me to my current position with the Champaign County Convention & Visitors Bureau. I have a great job and I get to do new and amazing things every day. Deciding to move back to Champaign was difficult. NYC had become increasingly less affordable, but I really loved life in the city. In effort to save money and slow my pace I chose to come back to the Midwest. Deciding to stay was much easier. I re-met Bob, who is now my husband, less than a year after I moved back.  Everything else just kind of fell into place.

Do you have a bad habit? What is it?
I probably have lots, but none that I'm willing to admit. :)

How do you handle a stressful situation?
I work through it the best I possibly can and then I either head to my yoga studio or to have a glass of red wine with a friend.

Global Mala Day

My yoga studio celebrated Global Mala Day on Sunday.  In honor and support of world peace we gathered together to do 108 sun salutations.  I tried my best to go in feeling confident that I could do all 108, but also tried keeping my yogi mindset and letting my body do what it was capable of without passing judgement.  I'm happy to say that I made it through 87 sun salutations and felt fantastic (and more peaceful).  Two days later, soreness has set in and I can hardly bend over to touch my toes or bend my arms backwards to put my jacket on.  Haha, the things we do for world peace!

Friday, September 23, 2011

Email Etiquette

You know them. Those who cram your inbox full of irrelevant information, ask the lengthy open-ended questions, or "cc" everyone in the office for no apparent reason.  Poor email etiquette has been adopted by many, but there's a movement that is trying to put an end to that.  Check out this Email Charter and sign up if you're in support. I'm going to follow rule number 10 this weekend and disconnect!

Friday, September 16, 2011

Engagement photo inspiration

 
I have been commissioned to take engagement photos for a couple that's very near and dear to me and I couldn't be more thrilled (and a little nervous...).  There is so much inspiration out there.  I'll be lucky if I can create images half as good as these.  I can't wait to try!


Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Useless Baby Essentials



These "11 Useless Baby Essentials" have me in stitches.  My top three favorite, most ridiculous items are The Peekaru, the Hair Bib and the Over the Door Baby Hanger.  What on earth were these people thinking?!

Monday, September 12, 2011

Fashion Week


I'm loving the looks from Altuzarra from Fashion Week in New York.  Splashes of bright color?  Fun styles in classic white?  Yes, please.





Friday, September 9, 2011

Ireland Booked


Yesterday, Husband and I booked our tickets to Ireland for a knock-your-socks-off springtime trip.  We've been planning it for awhile now and yesterday (undoubtedly with a little luck o' the Irish) I spotted a super deal on airfare and pulled the trigger.  Now, we get to plan and anticipate for the next several months and figure out all of the fun things we'll see, do, smell, taste and feel.  I can't wait!!

p.s. I'll happily accept any tips on "don't miss" things in Ireland. :)

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

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