I had so much fun with the cupcakes yesterday, so I thought I’d carry the fun to the mini cake we bought today from Bom Bon Cafe (any excuse for sweets!).

Happy Valentine’s Day! We celebrated early by splitting a Texas Red Velvet cupcake from Sugar Bliss.

One of my favorite views of the city. You can see all of the major landmarks from the L platform near our new neighborhood.

From left to right: John Hancock Center, Trump Tower, Aon Center, Sears (”Willis”) Tower

Jeff and I braved the snow to get out to one of our favorite restaurants, Opera, for our three year anniversary. If you live in Chicago—or ever happen to visit—I highly recommend it. It was definitely worth the trip for a little Tuesday night prix fixe. Very creative and satisfying food!

Jeff and I have been keeping a Sunday morning tradition for well over a year now. Each Sunday—assuming we’re in town—we walk over to a local coffee shop for a relaxing morning together. I look forward to it every week, and my week somehow feels a bit off if we miss it.

I was inspired by a short presentation about street photography by Denise Keim, the program director at the Chicago Photography Center. She’s an inspiring woman, and as I was leaving CPC, I couldn’t help but get my camera out to capture the blustery scene from the L platform.

As we enter the coldest month of the year, it’s nice to look back at some of the greener days in Chicago. I miss jumping on a bike and heading up for a picnic along the lake, or hanging out in the park with a book. I need to make a point to take a little vacation this winter so I can see green again.

My friend Kate came to visit, and I convinced her and her boyfriend, Nate (cute, huh?) to face the freezing Chicago weather and grab a few photos. A true friend, no?

We had a lovely holiday with the family, and I got back into the usual crazy aunt with the camera mode with my irresistible nephew, Henry. What’s better than a baby in a duck outfit?