The past several weeks have included the following: lots of baking, eating a ton of food, drinking too many tasty beers, spending time with loved ones, being very lazy, and not working.

So basically, my holiday break was a great success. And I’m feeling quite refreshed and ready for 2015!

Here’s my recap of what I’ve been up to lately. {Photos from IG.}

Top Row:
01. I have been enjoying some tasty Portillo’s every time I visit Chicagoland these days. It’s just good [albeit unhealthy] stuff.
02: I went to my first NHL game in the beginning of December. I think that hockey is about the only sport I can follow; I don’t enjoy sports too much otherwise. I am still debating if I want to be a fan of the Chicago Blackhawks, the St. Louis Blues, or the Nashville Predators. Several of my friends will argue with me on this subject; for now I remain semi-neutral/loyal to all three teams. 😉
03: I had my own nifty business cards printed from Social Print Studio! More on these soon. PS: Mint green nailz 4 lyfe.

Middle Row:
01: I spent lots of time with my brother’s beautiful [or shall I say handsome] cat, Ollie. He is naturally photogenic.
02: I’ve been experimenting with royal icing on cutout sugar cookies lately. I’m thinking I will work on some pastel/spring cookies soon and actually blog about it. I still need to work on my piping skillz a bit more, though.
03: Exploring in downtown Chicago! Chicago is one of my favorite cities to visit [although I may be biased since I am from Illinois, haha].

Bottom Row:
01: Just showing off the vintage-style apron that my mom and I sewed while I stayed with them in Tennessee + my tattoos + peanut butter blossoms. #GangsterBettyCrocker 😎
02: Eating a very tasty brunch in the middle of nowhere in Tennessee: apple pancakes with raspberry sauce, Gouda grits, hash browns, and maple bacon. {No, I couldn’t eat all of it in one sitting, for the record.}
03: Holding two of my favorite canine friends while wearing my “Merry Christmas, Ya Filthy Animal!” sweatshirt at a friend’s ugly sweater party. I just love befriending other peoples’ pets!

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What have you been up to lately? I hope everyone had an enjoyable break, and is enjoying the new year! <3