OK….lets think….what is going on in your life that you’re excited to share, Liz?

UM….?

Truth is, there’s really not much going on that I feel motivated to tell you guys about. Lately I’ve been feeling in a bit of a standstill. Work is the same, my relationships are the same, weekends are the same…I’m craving something different!

Don’t get me wrong, life is great, but it’s just feeling a little monotonous lately. I don’t get excited about the things I used to. I’m feeling like I need to evolve in some way. Quarter life crisis?

This weekend for example, I met up with two of my girlfriends to attend the Taste of Lincoln street festival, historically my favorite summer fest. We knew a friend working a tent who could get us drinks, it was a beautiful night and a good band was playing. Sounds like a great time, right?

In the middle of the party, one of my friends and I were yelling at each other over the music, drinking our luke-warm beer, watching intoxicated people act stupid when we both realized that what used to be a highlight of our summers was now just…sort of…boring.

It’s official. I need to switch up my routine and start doing some new things! What I enjoyed two years ago just isn’t cutting it anymore. Now I just have to figure out what WILL be fun and get my friends to agree with me!

How do you guys shake things up when you’re feeling in a rut?

We’re going to Cedar Point this weekend!!

Land of the tallest, scariest and ridiculously fun roller coasters in the world (not to mention some AMAZING people watching, elephant ears and water rides to boot). I’m giddy with excitement!

Hope you all have an exhilarating weekend too. :)

One way Luke and I are different is in our desire to socialize.

Luke would be perfectly happy to stay home all weekend and relax, while I feel the urge to go out and spend time with friends. Luke has a small group of friends he’s really close to, while I have a larger network of people I try to keep up with.

The problem is, living in a city like Chicago (where half of my hometown migrated to after college) means I have A LOT of friends to hang out with (I know, tough problem, huh!). Most times I love having so many options of things to do and people to see, but occasionally I start feeling stretched too thin.

With busy jobs, relationships, vacations ect its becoming nearly impossible to get all my friends together in one place, which makes it hard to maintain meaningful relationships with EVERYONE.

I’m starting to feel like I’m foregoing  strong relationships with my closest friends to be “sort of” friends with a lot of people.

What do you think, is it better to be friends with a lot of people or have a close-knit group of core friends?

How do you keep up with the network of people who are important to you?

This weekend Luke had to work, so I had a lot of time to spend with my friends and witness the many awkward ways men in Chicago hit on them. I can appreciate how hard it can be for a guy to approach a pretty girl, but some of their tactics were just downright rude.

For example, on Friday night a guy was clearly checking out my tall, blonde friend. However, instead of talking to her, he hit on another girl in our group and did everything possible to make sure the one he was really interested in saw.

The little game he was playing was SO OBVIOUS it was sad…and incredibly rude to the girl who he ultimately ended up using for attention.

On the totally opposite scale, on Saturday while at the pool, my friend spotted a cute guy. They clearly were attracted to each other by the smiles and eye contact that ensued.

Instead of beating around the bush, the guy confidently came over to our group, approached my friend and said “Sorry if this is a little awkward, but I wanted to come introduce myself to you.”

A++!!

They exchanged numbers and the guy got two big thumbs up from our group of girls.

So guys, what’s the lesson here? You’ll likely get much farther with that pretty girl if you act normal, confident and NICE. There’s a time and place for game playing, but in general we see right through it.

Ladies- what’s the worst way you’ve ever been hit on? How would you like to be approached by a guy?

While my poor husband is stuck working all weekend, I’m planning to hit up the pool a lot, watch some fireworks and of course make some delicious grub. I just love all the red, white and blue themed recipes I’ve come across…

I found these adorable red, white and blue cupcakes over at Tidy Mom blog.

These “pretzel sparklers” would be a bit hit with kids, I’d bet.

For the adults? I’m digging this fourth of July cocktail.

I love this american fruit-flag! It would be delish with some fresh farmer’s market berries.

Photo credit: http://www.rd.com

Of course, it doesn’t get much more all-american than a good old hot dog!

I’m planning on baking my second-ever cheesecake since my last one turned out so yummy. This time it will be a classic New York cheesecake decorated with some patriotic berries.

Photo credit: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com

Photo credit http://www.bonappetit.com

How are you guys planning to celebrate? What foods are you most looking forward to eating?

The concept of selling my dress seemed like a no-brainer to me since the darn thing was EXPENSIVE and I will never wear it again, but I was taken aback at the responses my friends/family had to the idea.

Them: What do you MEAN you may sell your dress!?!?

Me: I mean, I may sell my dress.

Them: Doesn’t it have sentimental value to you?

Me: It DID but now, taking up room in my minimal closet space, it’s more an annoyance.

Them: What if your daughter wants to wear it?”

Me: A) By the time I have daughters getting married, wedding dresses will probably be in black with a 60 ft train.

or

Me: B) Based on Luke and mys massive heights, our daughters will be 6’4 and would never fit into my dress.

:)

In all honesty though, selling wedding dresses has become a hot trend. It’s a great way for former-brides to recoup some $$ from that dress they wore for 12 hours and it lets other brides, who may not have budget for an expensive dress, feel beautiful on their day for less.

I’m still not 100% going to sell it though, as many people have told me that a wedding dress can end up having a lot of sentimental value to the bride, her family and eventually her daughters. I think I’m going to wait and see if I get any nibbles and then go from there.

About My Dress

So if you’re in the market, or know someone who is, my dress is a gorgeous french, alencon lace gown. It’s by the french designer Cymbeline and is called “Agadir,” and has been professionally cleaned with no flaws. (better photos coming)

It’s a street size 6 to 4 and I was just at 6′  with heels when I wore it. I’ll even throw in a matching floor-length veil. Asking price is $1,800 (44% discount off store price).

Email my at abattylife@gmail.com if you’re interested!

Let me explain.

My friends and family at home are married, own homes and are on the cusp of having children. My friends here in Chicago are independent, single and get totally freaked out by the idea of settling down….especially in the dreaded SUBURBS!

I feel somewhere in the middle.

My whole life I’ve always said I wanted to live a fast-paced, city life with no obligations except to travel, have fun and push myself to open as many doors as possible. And that’s exactly what I’ve been doing for the past four years.

Since meeting Luke though, I can feel my priorities shifting. I no longer have a desire to be “go, go, go” all the time. Instead I’d love to have more of a settled lifestyle that involved family cookouts, dinner with other couples, and a home-base larger than 900 sq. ft.

In some ways I still feel really young & free and in others I am ready for a slower-paced, settled lifestyle.

When do you know when it’s the right time to “grow up” and tackle the next phase in life?

The forward said I had to send it to six of my friends or I’ll be cursed with bad luck, but I figure at least six of my readers will enjoy this so maybe I will avoid being cursed. :)

Take a peek and let me know what you think about the Lotus Touts!

ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

TWO. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.

THREE. Don’t believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.

FOUR. When you say, ‘I love you,’ mean it.

FIVE. When you say, ‘I’m sorry,’ look the person in the eye.

SIX. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight.

EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone’s dreams. People who don’t have dreams don’t have much.

NINE. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it’s the only way to live life completely.

TEN.. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.

ELEVEN. Don’t judge people by their relatives.

TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.

THIRTEEN! .. When someone asks you a question you don’t want to answer, smile and ask, ‘Why do you want to know?’

FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

FIFTEEN. Say ‘bless you’ when you hear someone sneeze.

SIXTEEN. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.

SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R’s: Respect for self; Respect for others; and Responsibility for all your actions.

EIGHTEEN. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

NINETEEN. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.

TWENTY- ONE. Spend some time alone.

We played “guys vs. girls” Catch Phrase, took a wild ride on the Michigan dunes, went out to an amazing dinner and hit the dance floor at a local club/pizza parlor. It was a totally different dynamic than what I’m used to because everyone was there with their significant other, so the whole weekend was about having fun within the group vs. meeting someone new.

Since Luke and I are relatively young (27 and 25) many of our friends in Chicago haven’t settled down into serious relationships. While we love all our single friends and have fun watching them navigate the dating scene, I sometimes wish we had more couple friends to hang out with.

I hate to create a divide between “single” and “attached,” but when you’re in a comitted relationship your idea of fun can change a bit. Sometimes I’d rather have some couples over for dinner and board games than go out to a crowded bar. Does that make me lame?

So why don’t we just make more plans with couples? Well it’s not always that easy. Between our busy schedules, plans already made with our unattached friends and weekend travel, there isn’t much time to forge a new friendship with a couple. Also, it’s hard to find a couple that both of us really click with.

I’m looking forward to the day when more of my friends here in Chicago find mates and settle down. Then maybe they’ll be as excited as I am about making a pot roast and playing euchure on a Friday night. :)