Full Heart and Family Time

I used to dread holidays. Thanksgiving and Christmas can be really tough when you grow up in a divorced family. This past week, however, was such a sweet reminder of God's redemption of brokenness. Thanksgiving was filled with togetherness, food and bright lights. We spent a lot of time enjoying each other's company, eating and laughing. It was perfect. In the midst of it all, I got totally overwhelmed by how much God has loved me despite and through those tough moments. I am so thankful for the ways God has always been there for me, through out all joy and moments of discipline He has been beyond faithful to me. I am so thankful that He is a God that redeems in His time and His timing is always perfect. I am thankful for how closely He has held me when I began to question  the timing of that healing. He pursued me when I did not trust His love. I am so thankful that even though there will continue to be brokenness on this side of heaven He knows and cares for me throughout it. I am so thankful that He keeps gently shaping my heart, I need Him so much and He has been so constant. He has loved me so well. 

In God's timing he restores everything in ways so good you could not dream them up yourself. 

Pushing Past Holiday Small Talk

 I know that I am stating the obvious, but Thanksgiving is almost here. Two more days friends, just.two.more.days. Thanksgiving means a lot of things to different people but generally most of you will be gathering with lots of friends and family that you may not see all that often. As an introvert, sometimes these Holiday exchanges can be totally exhausting for me. In the midst of conversations about where and what I have been up to, there are moments where all I want to do is run up to my apartment, and zone out by pinning countless lace dresses. Time goes by so quickly and we do not get that much time to spend with family anyway so let's try and make the most  of the time together. To avoid some of these moments, I thought I would put together my own list of questions to ask around the table.

·         What is your favorite holiday tradition?

·         What has been the most memorable moment of 2014 thus far?

·         How have you seen yourself change this year? How did that change come about?

·         What good have you seen come from a really hard moment that you have had thus far this year?

·         In what ways do you think you are different from Thanksgiving last year? Or the last time we saw each other?

·         What has been your biggest success during this past year?

·         What is your favorite website? What is the best book you read this year and why?

·         What do you think is one of the most undervalued professions right now?

·         In what ways have you felt God speaking to you during this past year?

·         Where has God shown up in your life during this past year?

·         How have you seen God working in the lives of your loved ones?

…. Fair warning- Use these at your own risk. It is not the holiday season unless one family member runs away from the table crying … 

Silencing the "Not Good Enough"

The most frightening moment of my week usually involves the space right before I press the “publish” key on Wonder & Awe. During this time, a series of thoughts run through my mind…  

“You probably should not have said that because it is a little too vulnerable and do people really need to know that?”

“There are million people who take better pictures than you; do you really think people want to see these?”

“You barely have it together, why should you try and share any sort of insight?”

“Other girls are way more stylish than you, what makes you think that you have something to share?”

These thoughts can scream in the back of my head, until it is almost impossible to press the “publish” key. This space is filled with doubt, comparison and self-condemnation.  It is totally ugly and life sucking. 

The thoughts generally boil down to a common theme - “Who do you think that you are? Everyone else does it better.”

If it was not for a few extremely supportive loved ones in my life, these voices would have dominated my thoughts, and, simply put, Wonder & Awe never would have happened. Around the time that I was toying with the idea of starting this space, I watched Brene Brown’s TED talk about the power of vulnerability. Brene Brown’s research revealed that all of human connection lies in allowing ourselves to show up and be seen as who we really are. She talks about the power of creating art that is uniquely “you” and the courage that it requires. I had been hiding my creative outlets in fear that I was just not good enough. But then in that moment it all then became very clear. I could show up and allow myself and my passions to be seen or I could hide parts of myself out of fear of the critic. I had a choice. 

I could choose to be brave.

Often, the voices are particularly scary because there is some truth to them. There are a million more talented photographers out there, thousands of more stylish girls and others much more seasoned and wise than myself. I have a lot left to learn. But I am here. I took the step. I started. And now I am in the arena learning.

Since beginning, I have learned that others most appreciate the posts that I am most scared to share. 

There is tremendous power in allowing ourselves to be seen and speaking about the topics closest to our heart. It creates a space where you can say, “You too? I thought I was the only one.”

I love this space. Wonder & Awe has become part of me because my heart is here. The whole process is terrifying and completely exhilarating but there is never a moment where I regretted having begun. There is no end goal here. The pure enjoyment of the work itself is everything.

So, please if you have a part of your heart that you want to share, art you feel compelled to create, stories to tell, recipes to bake, rooms to design, please be brave and begin. 

We need to encourage each other to be brave and share our creativity or else the voices will win. 

You will never feel ready or good enough.  But you are so perfectly you, and that is certainly good enough.  

Things to Do During the Christmas Season

Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here before you even know it, and in the spirit of the holiday season I thought I would put together a list of fun things to do in the city during the holidays. Time can slip by so quickly so sometimes having a list of things to do is the only way to make sure you get to savor all Christmas in Chicago has to offer. 

• Stroll the Lincoln Park Zoo Lights, located at the Lincoln Park Zoo at 2001 North Clark - Begins on November 28, Admission is free. This is by far my favorite part of the Holiday season. There is nothing better than walking through the Lincoln Park Zoo, listening to Christmas music and having everything covered in lights. Super magical.

• Ice skate at Millennium Park, located at 201 East Randolph - Begins on November 14^th, admission is free but skate rental is $12. Ice skating next to the bean= so much fun.

• Attend Holiday tea at the Drake, located at 140 East Walton Place, Palm Court holiday tea tradition begins November 15^th through January 4^th. Runs between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Great place to enjoy beautiful Christmas decorations and the scenery of the Drake.

•  Browse the Christkindlmarket at Daley Plaza, located at Washington and Dearborn- Begins on November 21^st. Fun to just walk around and explore with friends.

• Get a drink at Lotties, located at 1925 W Cortland Ave. in Bucktown.  The ceiling of this dive bar is completely covered in beautiful white lights creating the perfect backdrop for a holiday time night out.  

•  Drive out to see the Christmas Lights in Lincolnwood Towers, located west of the Edens between Devon and Pratt Avenues. If you want to leave the city to see some Griswold style Christmas decorations, then you have to check out this neighborhood.

• See the Windows at Macy’s- located at 111 N. State Street, Begins on November 8^th. Classic Chicago tradition worth walking by and checking out.

• See the decorations in the Lobby at the Shanghai Terrace (Peninsula Chicago), located at 108 E Superior. In past years, the Peninsula has flooded their court yard to create an ice skating rink. Fun place to enjoy some special Christmas decorations.  

• Make Christmas Cards for Hospitalized Kids- Spend a night crafting Christmas cards for children suffering from illnesses. For more information and directions on how to do so see here. 

• Pot luck with friends- Plan a night with friends to connect before everyone heads off in their separate directions, invite everyone to bring a different dish. More food, the better.  

• Attend the 43rd Annual Christmas Festival at the Moody Bible Institute, located at 1635 N. LaSalle. No tickets needed. When- Sunday, December 14th. Doors open at 5:15 and the program starts at 6 p.m. Listen to the Sanctuary Choir and Festival Orchestra play some classic Christmas songs.

• Volunteer at the Park Community Church Toy Store, located at the Near North Campus on 1001 N. Crosby. When- Saturday, December 13th from 8 a.m. until noon. Every year Toy Store is one of the biggest events put on by Park Community Church. The toy store offers parents the chance to come and buy toys for their kids at 75% off the normal price. Donate toys, money or your time for this event. For more information about how to get involved see here.

• Deck the Hall at Old St. Pat's, located at 700 West Adams, When- Thursday, Friday and Saturday December 4th, 5th, and 6th. Program begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets run from $55 to $75 and some nights have already sold out. Come to see a candelight concert with the Metropolis Symphony Orchestra.

• Get a Hot Chocolate at Mindy's Hot Chocolate, located at 1747 N. Damen Ave.

Where to Eat in Chicago

Obviously I love celebrating and all of the best celebrations involve food. In the spirit of the Holiday season, I thought I would put together a little list of some of my favorite places to eat in the city.

·         Pump Room, located at 1301 N. State Pkwy. – Beautifully designed. Great place to go for a drink or dinner.

·         Dao Thai, located at 230 E. Ohio – The best Thai food in Chicago.

·         Eataly, located at 43 E. Ohio – Grab a glass of wine and just explore.  

·         Coalfire Pizza, located at 1321 W. Grand Ave.- The best thin crust pizza in Chicago. Worth the trip and the inevitable wait.

·         Butterfly Sushi, located at 1156 W. Grand Ave- Best sushi at a reasonable price. BYOB.

·         Le Colonial, located at 937 N. Rush- Super romantic setting with amazing food.  

·         Fig & Olive, located at 104 E. Oak Street – New hotspot in Chicago with great healthy food and a slightly Tuscan/California vibe.

·         Rose Angelis, located at 1314 W Wrightwood Ave.- Romantic Italian restaurant tucked away in Lincoln Park.

·         Quatrinos, located 626 N. State Street- Great spot for big groups, fun and loud.  

·         Café Iberico, located at N. Lasalle Ave 739- Spanish tapas, another great spot to go with a large group.  

·         Celeste, located at 111 W. Hubbard- My current favorite place to get a drink, because 1) it’s quiet and 2) the White Flower drink is my absolute favorite.

·         Balena, located at 1633 N. Halsted- Great atmosphere and Italian food.

·         RL, located at 115 E. Chicago Ave. – One of the places that my family always goes to around Christmas time. Perfect place during the Holidays.

·         Bar Pastoral, located at 2945 N. Broadway St.- Sweet little spot in Lakeview, perfect for a glass of wine and a really good cheese plate.

·         Le Creperie, located at 2845 N. Clark St.- Perfect place for romantic French crepes, feels like it is right out of France.

·         Gemini Bistro, 2075 N. Lincoln Ave. – Beautiful place in Lincoln Park for really good food. Never too loud.

·         The City Winery, 1200 W. Randolph St. – Really fun atmosphere in the West Loop, great for big groups of people since most of the food is meant to be shared.  Beautiful space to sit down and see a show.

Enjoy good food in the company of the people He has blessed you with. 

The End of October

This past weekend the waves along the Lake Shore path were so turbulent that Lake Shore Drive was shut down. After the strange hail/snow mix that we had on Halloween, I headed out to see the aftermath. October has fluctuated between beautiful spring like days and then terrible hail/snow pour ones. Chicago, you always keep it interesting. 

^^ The water was still really choppy and coming up onto the Lake Shore path. 

^^ October, you really went out with a bang.