What I did in lab today. Wuddup

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Early valentines gift from the mama!

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Urban Belly

sooo this is a draft from january 7th. aka a month ago. whooops. i totally forgot about finishing this until i was checking out food and wine's website and came across their list of top 1o restaurants in chicago. and urban belly was in it! (so is L2O and my next bday restaurant the publican)

sarah, my fav fellow not-studying-abroad blogger, and i were finally back in the chi together this break and decided to go on a food trip. since xoco was closed for winter break, we went to urban belly instead.

(i appologize for the shady picture quality of my phone. oh, and you can on them to see bigger views)

outside: it's between a laundromat and a dry cleaner's. needless to say, we passed it twice. annd inside: yeahhh we were sitting at by the window. the place was really tiny. the place could hold 30 ppl, tops.

as you can see from the restaurant's location and setting, you totally get the sense that this place is a step down from Bill Kim's high-end restaurant when you come in (altho i've never been to le lan..lol, i'm just hoping/assuming).

but that's only in terms of the the ambiance and prices. the food is still pretty interesting and delicious --

(top to bottom: Pork Belly and Pinapple Rice Bowl, Squash and Bacon Dumplings, Soba Noodle Soup with scallops and mustard greens)

well actually, i hated the dumplings. i was expecting hearty and savory when i heard squash and bacon. legit, no?? but oh noo there was this weird citrus-y and minty sauce that went with it. and orange slices on maybe shizo leaves (?) garnished on top. i was also pissed when i found out we passed up on foi gras dumplings. arghhh. but -- these did have garlic chips so good job with that??

the pork belly bowl was good but the whole pork belly-ness seemed kinda gimmicky. because the meat was diced, you ended up with disproportionate mouthfuls of all-fat or all-meat. and while it was still pretty good, i couldn't help but be reminded by joy yee's pineapple chicken fried rice (which is probs a much larger portion for the same price).

i might feel this way because i had pork belly dishes at graham elliot and blackbird before coming here..my bad. actually :) i don't apologize for eating at those places haha.

anywho i have no complaints about the noodle soup tho. and it def made up for the faults of the other two dishes. the broth was very interesting and had a seafoody/pickled radish flavor. woww i'm clearly doing this broth justice. i mean that sounds extremely unappetizing but it was delishhh. it was served with soba noodles, fried fish cakes, and scallops and greens. yummyy.

and the service was awesome. there's only one girl working the counter/floor who managed to bring out our food, come back with bowls (mult times -- we wanted them for our soup and rice bowls...we're difficult like that), and also keep our water cups full. aaaand she even split up our leftovers when we were finished into cute take-out bags with extra chopsticks and ginger candy :)

oook i may have sounded pretty negative about the food but i def would go back. it was a really great meal (esp at like 15/person...WITH leftovers!) but i think the dumpling just put me in a bad funk. i'll probs try other things on the menu.

ohhh and i found out it's byob?! HOLLER.

Linebacker Limeade

ohh good job rachael ray. this sounds tasty and a good alternative to margaritas (which i sadly dislike because of my current hate relationship with tequila). who's up to try it this weekend??

from fabsugar --

Ingredients

Six 12-ounce bottles light-flavored beer, such as Corona
One 12-ounce can frozen limeade concentrate
Half a lime

Directions

1. In a large pitcher, combine the frozen limeade concentrate and beer.
2. Allow the foam to settle, then squeeze the lime half into the pitcher and stir. Pour into chilled glasses.

coconut water is the new "it" thing???

kinda sad because my mom told me this one over winter break.

in anycase, madonna is apparently a huge fan of this stuff and just invested 1.5 mil into vita coco, according to nytimes.

nancy bought four bottles of this stuff for me after hearing it was the latest trend. according to her, it was the biggest-selling item in the sports drink market. orr something like that.

how sweet of her.

too bad that shit tastes like sweat. and not in the "ohh gatorade kinda tastes likes sweat" sort of way. take a rag, wipe your body with it after a good work out, wring it into a cup, and drink. cuz that's what it tastes like.

i felt bad that my mom had bought 4 bottles! soi just poured it over ice and chugged it before work outs. altho it did work well as a pre-workout drank. so hmm...

BUT WHAAAT. 1.5 MILLION?! REALLY MADONNA?! weird and lame.

but kombucha on the other hand...if it wasn't so expensive i'd drink that sweet/apple cider-y stuff all day.

bacon fat popcorn.

at the revolution brewing company. ohhh my geeez

other things that sound utterly amazing

• Gorgonzola, cremni mushroom, crispy shallot Farm Burger
• Cherry Bourbon Cake
• Goat cheese béchamel, tarragon, truffle oil Italian Seitan (altho i don't understand why seitan and not real meat is used)
• Applewood Smoked Wings
• Aged Wisconsin cheddar, golden ale, thyme & sour cream Sweet Potato Cakes

ughhhhh cant wait to finally turn 21 and enjoy all of these gastropubs poppin' up in the chi. ONLY 5 MONTHS AND 26 DAYS. WOOOO.

i don't think anything can be more random than crocheted food.

absolutely love.

from the sartorialist --


there are too many things i love to even start listing.

20% off card at urban = gotta shop, duh.

so when i got my blazer at urban over break, i got a card for 20% off regular priced items starting feb 1st. so of course i had to use it....

bummer is that the girl said i was only allowed to use it once and took it away. NOT COOL. but -- i wrote down the online code before i turned it in.

THINKSPRING <-you're welcome!!

sooo i bought a new pair of skinnies and this top --

the color's actually more vibrant in person and the shirt fits bit shorter on me (idk how that happened...) i looove the blue and i think it'll be really fun to tuck into skirts or wear with skinnies.

buttt -- i also loved this print.

the print is fun for spring/summer and would work more for casual things. like i def would wear it for diff occasions than the blue top. but...it's the exact same top. should i get it? or just save that money for something more diff/i love more???

urban prankster = great site.

found these pics from urban prankster. thank youuu google reader for introducing me to this hilarious site. sooo clever/funny/random --

oh hey. this is pretty too.

(also from fabsugar)

• one shoulder
• short
• so much fun texture!
• BLUE

my only complaint is that i wish she did a bright earring or nail color to keep this outfit from being so monochromatic. it's kinda hard to tell but i think her nails are the same blue.. (maybe light my sapphire hehehe..)

and this dress reminds me of this from last week's project runway.

oh you know, she only had a baby 4 months ago.

(from fabsugar)

heidi is KILLING that long sleeve mini. ugh.

to reiterate -- HOMEGIRL GAVE BIRTH TO A BABY GIRL OCTOBER 9th. and my excuse for not being in shape is..?

in addition to her rockin bod, here are the other reasons why i love this outfit

1. looove the taupe
2. fun sequin pattern
3. shoes are sooo fab but not too overwhelming
4. interesting neckline
5. her tousled hair and clean make-up gives a "oh yeah, just threw this on but i look fuckin amazing" kind of feel

lady gaga cookies...YES

from oh no they didn't --


check out the site to see side-by-side pics of each cookie and the outfits that inspired them. SO CUTE.

nick adopolis > seth cohen. yeah thats right.

oh hey yeah it's jason segel....skinny...and 20.

so i recently have gotten into various short-lived series. first there was arrested development, then weeds (well..that's five seasons so w/e), my so-called life, and now freaks and geeks.

in the past three days i've watched 12 episodes. there about 6 more to go. thank youu youtube and megavideo

the show is great -- it has great, meaningful stories without being corny or stupid. annnd the comedy's hilarious (uhhhh judd apatow, seth rogan, jason segel, and james franco...just to name a few of the ppl involved).

but back to the picture posted. jason segel's character -- SO ADORABLE. i may love him more than seth cohen. for those who know me-- this is huuuuuuuge!

nick adopolis (jason segel's charcter) is soooo cute. he's passionate about playing the drums/wants to become a professional..which is a complete failure haha. but its cute to see him excited about something we see as lame. he's a super sweetheart who writes songs and falls head-over-heals over lindsay. andd he maybe a stoner but he was a good bball player before and still plays sometimes.

and...just look at him! so lanky/awkward/dorky. love love love.

i'll probs watch the rest of the season tonight. haha

any more suggestions of great shows that were short-lived and i could watch in a short time span?????

happy balls..hehehe

from the urban grocer, a blog that posts great food finds around the world (btw...they recently did a post about avec!!)

"homemade Kentucky treats made with buttercream, chocolate, pecans, and – of course – 100 proof, nine-year-old, single-barrel bourbon."

um...YUM.

and speaking of delicious balls, i obviously had to put up this --

obsessed with blue.

soooo earlier this week i was working on a post about dresses i found pretty from the critic's choice and sag award. andd i never got around to really finishing it. whooops. but i realize something as i started compiling pics -- i'm really digging blue!

it's a great, bold color that's still not too overwhelming or crazy. soo chic. also, i feel like anyone can wear this color.

soooo here are some AWESOME blue things i've found throughout the week.






and blue nails!!!! oh and my car...lol.

and don't worry green is still my fav color.

cropped boots??

soooo i kinda wanna get these..

fryes, of course.

i think they'd be fun to wear with out with dresses and tights or to class with skinnies and any oversized top.

here's what i was thinking -- (banana republic's holiday ads) (who what wear)

thoughts??

i may look at steve madden or aldo for cheaper alternatives.

poor conan

this is an interview conan did in 2006. fast forward to the 3 minute mark and hear him talk about his move to the tonight show, his reasoning for passing on fox and his plan to stick with NBC for his entire career.

so so so sad now knowing how things would pan out for him. im with coco :(.

joe jonas w facial hair?!

but everything on friends is true!

^FALSE PHOEBE! :( :(

contrary to what phoebe on friends taught us, LOBSTER DON'T MATE FOR LIFE. instead, male lobsters are quite the man-whores. basically, males fight one another for dominance over a territory and get to be with all of the females in that area. but..there's more to the story including females peeing from under eyes and males sometimes eating females during erm, the act. crazy crazy stuff.

check out the article to read how it all goes down. not cute or romantic at all.

football at wrigley field? kinda cool!

yeah, yeah, yeah, swong's not the biggest follower of sports. but i thought this was kind of interesting. (sorry that this is a week old...i'm kind of behind on my google reader. i have 800 unread items, eeeek!)

NU will be hosting a few football games next season at wrigley field. they're still working out some stuff but it's a probable thing. and heyyy since NU came to chambana last year...that means our team would head north next season, yes??? aka there's a good chance an illinois game will be at wrigley field!

soo i'm not a die-hard cubs fan nor am I really that interested in Big Ten football....so this news is blog-worthy because..? well, i just think it'd be really fun to go to this game! sporting events are more of a social thing for me; watching a game is another way to hang out with friends/have stuff to talk about later. the whole following-stats-and-news-constantly is not my thing. i just don't have the time or interest in it...sorry.

sooo...reasons why swong wants to go to this game --

1. i'll be 21 then, soooo tailgating = wrigleyville bars! (ooooor at a friend's apartment and then we can take the el down...so many fun possibilities!)
   
2. it'd be a fun weekend escape from school
3. wrigley is really pretty
4. they'll probably serve beer during the game (and again..I'LL BE 21!!!)
5. football hasn't been played in wrigley since 1970 (this is history, yo!)

i'll keep following stories on this and let ya'll know!

Spotted at meijer

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so adorbs.

check out more at fred flare

some *YAY* purchases

here are some exciting purchases i've made recently --

1. new sunniessss

does anyone remember my, like, month-long quest for picking eyeglasses?? the problem is that it's basically impossible to find glasses that'll work for me. but i reallllly wanted a pair of wayfarers and i was determined to find a pair that worked. welll it took trying on every variation of rayban's and then (after accepting raybans wouldn't work) checking out three different stores's selections until i finally found a pair i loooooved. yayyyy. altho the price was a bit more than i wanted to spend...:(. but w/e felix helped me out and i now i have the same brand of glasses as patrick bateman. haha

everything else is listed after the jump!
(sorry i'm trying to make the blog look less cluttered lol)

2. some more plaid.

i picked this print because it's bright, fun, and def not barndance-y. ummmm if anyone has any boy's size 10/12 plaids they're willing to part with, lemme know :)







3. a new scarf!

(i got this one in dark heather grey.) def used the idea from the video i had posted earlier. so so so fun and dressy! i wore it today with a striped long sleeve, velour pants and uggs...yet didn't look like i had just rolled out of bed (even though i basically did...) i may ask the father to buy similar ones from hk. any color suggestions??






4. black blazer (FINALLY)

sooo i posted about needing an oversized black blazer but never actually went out to get one. well i finally got this one from urban. woooooo. it fits super well in the shoulders and is nice and snug on the arms...not uncomfortably tight, just enough to make my arms look long :). it warm (ish..) for winter but still pretty thin to rock through spring and maybe summer nights. and oh hey, it can be paired with my scarf and/or my new plaid. HOLLER

Bacon Bourbon Caramel Corn "Pig Out"

(pic from their website!)

ummm...what more is there to say??? u can buy it here.

bread bird experiment

found this from drive thru.
an artist decided to carve out bread in the shape of a bird and if pigeons would it. apparently chi-town birds aren't into food that are shaped like themselves. pretty interesting!!

how i entertain myself at 4am

there are all random things i found interesting on my reader...

if you're bored, check them out after the jump!


LOLOLOLOLOL


SOOO COOOOL

google reader knows me too well. check out a post it reccomended to me.

umm..the reasons i can't sleep. weird story. and creeeeepy.

oh and this---

FUN FOR HOURS (ok fine, maybe only a few minutes..)

um....google sweetbreads, yo.

Caramelized Sweetbreads with Vanilla-Bean-Parsnip Custard from schwa, found at GQ

found out what sweetbreads really were after ordering them as an app at blackbird with that papa last week. ummmm part of a dessert...? kinda weird. but looks pretty!

i may or may not have spent an hour youtubing nick jonas.

rumor has it that jonas brothers are breaking up.

as you may or may not know, i have all of their cds downloaded and 4 of their songs are in my top 25 most played on itunes (it's from listening to them when i run, i swear!

while their break up would mean there'd be no more of their catchy songs and total sadness for me, i'm ok with it because i'm really digging nick's new stuff.

nick's currently doing a solo "side project" called nick jonas and the administration. his band consists of musicians who have worked for prince and JM. funny thing because he has admitted to have been influenced by prince and JM's old lps haha (found out after skimming through tryjm.com..).

check out some of my favs --


fun cover (?) of #11 on my top played. skip to the 1 min mark.


interesting! in the interview i read, this is the one that was listed as "heavily influenced" by JM. hmmm...kinda liking it.


prettyy!!

i mean, i'm not much of a fan of SOAD

but holy crap this kid's only 5!



REDONK

i don't feel as bad for not really liking avatar...

saw avatar with sarah over break. while the visuals were really cool, the story was a bit lame. and sooooo drawn out. but, check this out...HILARIOUS.

from the next web --


i love google reader and its ability to reccomend posts to me. def will be seeing tons more reblogs. haha i suck.

finally found a plaid shirt!

it's this one, but i went a size up so I could wear it with leggings. it's actually longer and not as boxy on me. it's lined and has cute ruffle details along the front buttons and sleeves aka it's not like something i could pick up at walmart or whatnot. also -- the plaid is more preppy than farmy. oh, and i ended up getting it for $22! YES.

i still kind of want to head out to RL to check out their boy's plaid shirts haha.

oh, i found a pic of tori spelling's wearing the same shirt in a diff color on perez!

Big Jones -- def being added to the list

(from chicago tribune)

Phil Vettel recently reviewed Big Jones. It apparently has delicious southern comfort food but with interesting twists. For example -- the picture posted above. It's a Red Velvet Cake with a cream cheese semifreddo. LOOKS DELISH (and pretty!). read his entire review here.

michael cera has never looked sexier.

hilarious! michael cera got "made over" by pauly d. hahaha

^i lloooove how adorably awkward michael looks in this pic.

the final result! rocking the ed hardy too. bahaha YES.
pics pauly d's twitter via perez hilton

reblogging like it's my job

sooo like i've said in previous posts, i occupied my time by reading random articles. here are a few i found interesting --

• Jersey Shore has made its way to Food and Wine Magazine...i'm gonna have to say woooooooo [Food and Wine Blog]
  
• I understand the whole giving-up-dairy thing...but i should be worried about gluten too? UGH NOOOOOO [Huffinton Post]
• Speaking of reality tv and avoiding dairy...anyone up for some vegan food faire at the Chicago Diner and being on an TLC program?? [Grub Street]
• so apparently beastly asian carp have made their way north though the mississippi river and are close to reaching the great lakes and taking it over. all of the states are angry at IL for not figuring out ways to block them off. here's an interesting blog post about why we need to do something asap [Huffington Post]
• A substance that gets you drunk but doesn't cause a hangover...whoaaa. [Daily Mail]
  

chicago restaurant weekS (yup, there's two!)

so yesterday i found out that Chicago's Restaurant Week is Feb 19-28th. ummmm coooool i'll be back at school. but for ya'll who are gonna be in the chi -- you should def check it out here. prefixe meals (lunch -- $22, dinner -- $33) at some INCREDIBLE places.

aaanywho i was really pissed and basically decided to not blog about it. haha. but apparently there's another restaurant week starting TOMORROW! woooo. it's the local tourist restaurant week. although it's little more expensive (lunch -- $25, dinner -- $35) and less restaurants are participating, it still seems pretty awesome! anddd 10% of the proceeds go to charity. so that's always good. check out the lists here

i think i'm gonna do some michigan ave shopping and lunch at C-House next week. anyone wanna join??

two of my favorite things in one....hot damn.

leave it to shawnimals to be even more awesome than thought possible --

baker AND ninja plush. WHAAAAT?!?!?!
(pic from their email!)

if you didn't know, i'm a huuuge fan of shawnimals. kicky, one of their characters, has been my aim icon since high school and i'm a proud owner of a pocket ninja (which is the picture at the top left).

aaaaaaand we all know how much i enjoy baking. so imagine my excitement when i saw this little beauty in my inbox today??

shawnimals is coming out with a new ninja every month and this is january's. it costs $400 to get a subscription, which includes all 12 ninjas, a poster, a certificate and random deals. i mean, i looooove the ninjas but not THAT much. (there's a whooole lot of clothes i could buy and food i could eat for $400!) it's $30 for one, but stilll...there's a lot of other stuff i'd rather spend that money on. i mayyy ask the 'rents for this one though.

little side note -- my mom thinks all of these random toys are adorable, even the gloomy bear. and before going out to college she wanted to buy me a six-foot ugly doll for my room.

annywhoo i wonder what the other months' will look like...will def keep ya'll updated!

how to tie a scarf...

this stylist has some fun idea i never thought of! got this vid from time out chicago. (and yes, i've subscribed their blog..)

Graham Elliot!

From tgiving break, I just forgot to post it.
Pork belly with collard greens, butternut squash and pomegranate!
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Brownies w becca and scotty!!

Chocolate chip bronies half w peanut butter swirl. Woooooo
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"(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" by Weezer

sooo great! and looooooooove rivers cuomo's extreme nerdiness :)

I WANT THESE. ALL OF THEM.

(pics from fabsugar!)

adding to my collection of grandma cardigans

on sale at jcrew! haha wuddup