Interrupting is rude

xcuse me.  Pardon me.  I hate to interrupt...  Those are just a few choice phrases to use if you find it necessary to interrupt somebody while they are speaking.  Today's interrupter of the day, however, chooses to use none of those.  How rude!

The fabulous Lily

Lily, one of my sweet little nieces, had her holiday concert last week.  These events are so much fun and the kids are just darling to watch.  Some are shouting "hi daddy" while others are tugging on their clothes and playing games with their friend standing right beside them.  This one was no different and it was adorable. 

Check out the little guy dancing in the background.  Hilarious!

Pretty drop caps

y friend Sara clued me in to this awesome site.  She obviously knows how much I love (read: obsessed with) typography I am. :)  The Daily Drop Cap is a very cool project that's been going on since 2009.  Since then the designer and illustrator as been posting a new design regularly.  I plan to put a few into rotation...

Namaste

At the end of every yoga class it is custom to conclude with a "Namaste" and bowing of one's head.  Last night in my yoga class my instructor added a description of what the yogi phrase means.

The divine light inside of me honors and respects the divine light inside of you.

We always say "Namaste," but it was especially nice to hear these words spoken aloud.

photo from here

Christmas socks

These are the socks I like to wear each year when decorating my Christmas tree.  They're comfy, have no-skid bottoms and they make me laugh.  This year Winston tried to eat the nose off Santa.  Thankfully he didn't succeed.

Have a great weekend!

Salisbury steak with mushrooms

Last night I whipped up this delicious recipe for Salisbury Steak with Mushrooms.  Salisbury Steak immediately calls to mind less than tasty frozen meals.  But, this wasn't remotely close to that flavorless brown lumpy stuff.  This was delicious and VERY easy to make.  I used the recipe's suggestion of pairing it with egg noodles, but mashed potatoes would have been great, too.  I also used more mushrooms than it called for because I love them.
Super easy.  Super delicious. I highly recommend this for a quick (moderately healthy) meal.

"Read more" to see how mine turned out.

Martinez family photo shoot

The Martinez family photo shoot was officially my first family session and how lucky I was.  They are a beautiful family - fun-loving, warm, sweet and they have the most adorable little boy.
We headed out to a local park and the entire family braved a chilly day with me.  Little Adrian was not extremely happy to be there, but we managed to make the best of it.  We found ourselves on the playground almost right away and the swing set was the only place Adrian was happy.  So, I found a little burst of creativity and got a nice variety of shots.  You'd never know from these photos that he was crying nearly the whole time, save for the swings.  Thank you swings. :)

More pics after the jump.

Carmon's Bistro

Bob and I were joined by our good friends Jeni and Dave for foodie fun recently.  We tried a new French bistro in downtown Champaign called Carmon's Bistro.  I had the steak frites and it was delicious!  We all shared a cheese board and mussels which were heavenly.

See pics after the jump.

First baby photo session

My first baby photo session was certainly a learning experience. Little miss Ayla was gorgeous in her pink tutu, but had absolutely no interest whatsoever in having her picture taken.  She cried for about 60 minutes of a 90 minute photo session.  I'd hoped to get her into a few of the adorable outfits her mom brought and get her to sit with some of the props I had ready, but she wanted nothing to do with it.  I made do the best I could and managed to get a handful of shots that were decent.  

I'm looking forward to trying it again with her sometime soon.

More of my favorites after the jump.

What a year

Today, Libby on the Label is celebrating one year of blogging.  And, what a great year it's been!  I've had so much fun sharing my adventures with you and can't thank you enough for following along.  I look forward to the shape the blog takes over the next year as I embark on so many new things.  You can plan to hear about more deliciousness, more travels, more husband, more family & friends, more photography, and lots more. :) 
I'm thankful for you, readers! 

Rainy day top five

I got to work at 7am this morning and it hasn't stopped raining since.  While the rain is not helping me stay motivated in the least, it has inspired me to share with you my top five favorite rainy day activities.

1. Wearing my pajamas ALL day.
2. Eating Digiorno frozen pizza.
3. Watching the last hour of the Today Show (which is not so newsworthy as the first two hours).
4. Reading fashion magazines.
5. Perusing one of my photo books.

Can you tell I'd rather be at home today? :)

photo from here

Heather + Mike engagement photos

I'm excited to share my second engagement shoot featuring Heather and Mike!  Heather (and her twin sister, Beth) are my very oldest (and dear) friends.  Heather and I have been friends since we were 4 years old when we met in Daisies.  When we were younger our teachers used to confuse us, calling me Heather and her Libby.  Anyway... she and Mike are a darling couple and I can't wait for their wedding. Mike is funny and sweet and I love that he's marrying my friend.

Click below to see some of my favorites from our photo session.

Weekend ready

Do you have big plans this weekend?  My week has been incredibly busy at work (i.e. stressful) so I'm very ready for the weekend.  I will be happily working on my latest engagement photos and on our new house.  Bob and I have had plans to tailgate with some friends for over a month now, so we'll be having some fun with that tomorrow, too.

Have a wonderful weekend, friends!

photo from here

My guys

These are my guys. Aren't they precious? Getting home to them really is the best part of my day.

Epic love

Read this. Such a good read.

"He walked me to my car, and we kissed in the parking garage, under orblike yellow lights. It was a still kiss, a postcard kiss, a Disney princess kiss, the kind of kiss that makes blue cartoon birds chirp and swirl in the sky, their beaks holding garlands."

(via Joanna Goddard)

Front and center

That's me in front of one of my photos displayed in the lobby entrance at O'Charley's in Champaign, IL. Bob and I made a special trip (I'm very anti-chain restaurants) to see my photos there last night. I was thrilled to see two of the seven in the lobby and the rest scattered throughout the dining rooms. If you're in the neighborhood, stop by and check 'em out!

Seeing books

I love the built in bookcases in our new house. They frame one of the fireplaces and are charming, sweet and just plain cool. The other night I was unpacking my books thinking to myself, "man, it's been so many years since I've actually been able to see all of my books." I came across books that I hadn't seen in ages and some I'd completely forgotten I even owned. Just then I came across this book that was a gift from my mom a long time ago... 

...and I flipped through the pages and landed on this one. My eyes fell on the 4th line of text: "knowing where all your books are." 

It was one of those moments when you get the warm and fuzzies and a giant smile spreads across your face. That is certainly something to be happy about.

Winston, you spooky dog

Winston was a hit with our trick or treaters last night.  He was such a good sport and donned his skeleton costume the whole time.  The kids loved it and he loved meeting all of them.  He even tried to help Bob hand out the candy.  Too cute, right?  

Welcome, Lindy Mary!

Yesterday our dear friends Katie and Cliff welcomed Lindy Mary, their new daughter, into the world.  Isn't she just the cutest?  Bob and I will be meeting her in person tonight and I can't wait.  Congrats you guys!

And, Lindy will of course grow up to be a die hard Cardinals fan like her dad... I suppose we'll let that slide. :)

Mister Misty

Yesterday we had to put Misty, my last childhood pet, to sleep. Misty was a really great cat. When I was in 4th grade, some guys who worked at my mom's office found a litter of three kitties behind the building. The momma cat had abandoned them when they barely had their eyes open and fur on their bodies. My mom, being the angel that she was, brought them home. We bottle fed them (sometimes using a syringe) to health and two of the three of them survived to live long and happy lives with our family. Misty was one of them.
I will always remember the great massages that Misty gave with her paws and just how lovey she was. Now she gets to see all of our wonderful pets again - Shadow, Jenny, Sophia, Domino, Captain and Samantha.
When I was young my mom always told me that Captain and Samantha, our big black German Sheppards, were guarding the gates to heaven. I still find that a very comforting thought.

Weekend Warriors

It's been about two weeks now since Bob and I closed on our new house and we are quickly approaching our move in date. I thought I'd share some pics of work in progress. We have officially achieved Weekend Warrior status - I'm lumping myself in there even though Bob has done the vast majority of the work. I'm more like the errand girl who picks up lunch and random other needs and tries to stay out of the way the best I can... :)

Libby on the label

Naming my blog was something I really struggled with when I first started almost a year ago.  I wanted something that sounded cool, represented me and just fit.  I landed on "Living Lovely," but was never totally feeling it.  It's always been in the back of my mind - trying to figure out a name that was just right.  Well, I've finally found it.

Libby on the Label



Throughout my entire childhood people would always sing this silly song to me that went "Libby Libby Libby on the label label label, you will like it like it like it on your table table table."  Now, I am familiar with the Libby's (Libby's Libby's) brand, but I'm too young to remember these commercials.  When I was a kid it kind of annoyed me, but now it is one of the funnier things I remember from that time.  Mainly because I had no idea what people were talking about and I just had to stand there while they sang this song to me.  It makes me laugh right now just thinking about it.  Anyway, it's the perfect name for my blog.

I'll be working on designing a new header soon, so stay tuned.  I might even ask for your help in choosing what to use.

My first photo shoot

Jackie and Matt, my brother-in-law and future sister-in-law, recently asked me to take their engagement photos, to which I immediately said, "YES!".  They gave me the opportunity to test out my photography skills and begin to develop my portfolio.  I was nervous as could be going into the session.  Really nervous.  The kind of nervous like before a big test or something where your stomach does flip flops.  I was so nervous that the photos would turn out terribly.  To my delight, we had just the opposite experience.

Jackie and Matt were terrific sports.  They let me drag them to several different locations throughout Champaign-Urbana trying out tons of different spots and poses.  The sun came out just enough to give us some great lighting conditions and the rain held off, too.  We had a lot of fun! 

I'm extremely happy with how the photos turned out and now can not wait to really launch this hobby of mine into something bigger.  I'll be working on developing a site (or perhaps a page of this blog) to show my work and hopefully book more engagement sessions.  Please spread the word if you know anyone who may be interested. :)  Also, you can email me with questions at libbykacich at gmail dot com.

Here are some of my favorite shots from the day:

Rainy Rainy Day

It has been a dreary rainy day today.  The kind that makes you want to snuggle up under a heavy blanket and watch movies with your husband and puppy.  Alas, I've been stuck at my desk all day and can't wait to head home.  Tonight Bob and I will be eating our favorite food: Cuban sandwiches from Black Dog.  We're also planning to venture our to find paint for our new house.  I'm thinking something greyish-blue for our bedroom...

Have a good night!

photo from here

Happy weekend

Last weekend Bob, Winston and I went hiking at Turkey Run State Park in Indiana.  We had a fabulous time romping through the woods, seeing the beautiful trees change color, climbing rocks and eating our picnic lunch. 
This weekend we'll be working away on our new house, getting closer and closer to actually moving in (I can't wait!).  Bob will be doing the dirty work of wiring the house and I will be planning out my decor for each room.  My goal is to celebrate the age of the house with pieces that compliment its older features.  I recently found an awesome antique "something" that I will show you soon...

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Interesting finds

Last night Bob and I got to work on the things that needs to be done in our new house before we can move in.  To our amazement, we found a couple of very interesting things behind the attic walls... 

The first was this bottle of camphorated oil.  It was actually behind the walls sitting on the original framework of the house.  The label says that it came from a local pharmacy of the time in Champaign called Watson Faulkner.  It was used to treat symptoms like rashes and sore nipples (it actually says that!).

The second, which was a little scary, was this nest/hive that was also behind the attic walls.  The entire nest was about 4 feet tall and 2 feet wide and had been built all around one of the attic windows.  Long since dormant - THANK GOODNESS - rows and rows of some bugs house were intricately built here.  Bob thinks it was bees and my guess was wasps.  Either way, lots of bugs lived here once and spent a lot of time building a giant house for themselves.  I have no idea how old this, but I have to admit that I was terrified that a swarm of wasps was going to attack us both.  Not quite the kind of character and charm I was expecting. :)  You can believe that Bob will be the one removing this, not me.

  

Any experts out there know what may have built this?  



New home

This morning was a great morning.  Husband and I finally closed on our dream house!  Our real estate adventure has been exciting so far and I have to say that this is the best part by far.  The house we purchased was built in 1920 and has some very cool features including a double fireplace, a sitting room off of the master bedroom, french doors, built-in shelves and a gorgeous back yard.  The house sits on a beautiful tree-lined brick street in an established neighborhood.  Needless to say, we're thrilled! 

The best part of all is that this is the first home that Bob and I have purchased together.  Bob actually saw it online and thought that it could very possibly be "our house" before we'd even driven by.  And, when we first walked into the house, I immediately knew it was the place that I wanted to raise our family and even saw us entertaining our grand-children in.  Sigh...  We looked at several more houses just to make sure we were really sure. :)  We were.  A few months later, it's ours!

Stay tuned for updates as we make some improvements prior to move-in.  It's a very exciting time for us!



Champaign Tourism Website

For the last six months I have been working extremely hard to create a new website at work.  With the great minds at the company I hired to do the design and development of the site, we finally reached our goal this week.  The new Visit Champaign County website - the official tourism website for Champaign County - launched yesterday.  This is probably one of the most detailed and time consuming projects I have ever worked on, and one of the most rewarding.  Knowing that the site I produced will used used by millions to plan their getaways, meetings and other fun plans is very exciting.  This project is something that I'm incredibly proud of and I wanted to share it with you, too.  I hope you have a minute to browse the site.  And, have a great weekend!

My Photography: SOLD

I am pleased to share that I have sold my very first photographs. My own artwork.  Photographs that I crafted.  I can hardly believe it!  Seven of my photographs will be installed in the O'Charley's restaurant in Champaign at the end of this month as part of a redesigned interior.  I hope you'll have a chance to check them out.  I can't wait!  

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

Emma Thompson Wisdom

Love this.

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