Tag Archives: abattylife

Dana and Josh’s Black Tie Wedding

Posted in Wedding Planning by

Last weekend finished off my summer weddings for this year. I attended my work friend Dana’s nuptials along with several of my dear friends I’ve met working in PR. (Luke was away at his 10-year high school reunion) Here we are looking spiffy in our black-tie attire.

Upon walking into the Four Seasons, we were met with some out of this world floral arrangements.

And the most breath-taking aisle I’ve ever seen!

This was the first Jewish wedding I’ve been to, and it was really neat experiencing all the unique traditions and customs. For instance, Dana walked down the aisle by herself and then her and Josh walked in circles around each other. Anyone know what the significance of that is?



After the ceremony we took in all the beautiful details during the cocktail hour and beginning of dinner.

Like the cake…

And the centerpieces…

My friend Molly popped a squat on the custom-made couches!

Butter-flowers. (I loved these for some reason!)

And even a custom-made dance floor…

Then their AWESOME band took the stage and got everyone dancing.

I think it’s safe to say everyone had a blast. Thanks for inviting us Dana and Josh! Mazel Tov!

You Look Just Like Batman!

Posted in Liz's Life by

When Luke and I first started dating, he had very short, almost-shaved hair. It was also around the time that the Batman movie starring Christian Bale came out.

During this time, when we’d be out, Luke would often get approached by strangers telling him he looked like Christian Bale (keep in mind these are strangers who don’t know his last name). The conversation would proceed as such:

“You look JUST LIKE Batman!”

“Thanks. I AM Batman.”

“Huh?”

*I’d fish his ID out of his pocket to show the confused stranger*

“NO WAY!!!! Dude, this guy’s name is BATMAN….and he LOOKS like Batman!”

LOL I loved it when that happened- and not just because someone compared my boyfriend to a movie star :)

Recently Luke started a new job and the company is playing some employee contests over the summer. One is to submit an image of yourself next to a celebrity you look like. The person who most resembles their celeb wins money.

Here’s what he submitted:

HAHA! Think he’s going to win?

Erin and Brian’s Chicago Wedding

Posted in Dating, Love, Wedding Planning by

This year’s wedding season came and went for us rather quickly. We had three weddings from March-June and now, sadly, they’re over! I really love going to weddings, but I will also enjoy not having to travel this summer.

The two most recent wedding I attended were here in Chicago for two of my girlfriends. First was Erin’s. Erin is a college friend of mine who also happens to work with Luke…she even introduced us at her birthday party three years ago!

Erin made a gorgeous, elegant and very classic bride. Her reception followed suit too! It was held at the Union League Social Club, which really embodies old-world Chicago with the dark wood, chandeliers and amazing artwork.

They had a live band that got everyone dancing…

Luke and I loved the slow songs…

My favorite part of Erin’s reception was when her father-in-law took the stage to play some traditional Irish music. Brian, Erin’s husband, and his family took center-stage to show off their Irish step dancing skills.

Everything about Erin’s wedding was gorgeous, classy and fun! – just like Erin herself :)

I must say, one special moment of the evening for me was when Erin’s mom stopped me (we’ve never met) to tell me she is a abattylife reader! That was pretty cool.

Mrs. Fitzgerald and Erin…you put on an amazing wedding! Thanks for inviting us.

Stay tuned tomorrow for a recap of the other wedding I attended recently- black tie and the Four Seasons, ooh lala!

Roasted Chicken & Goat Cheese

Posted in Sunday Supper Series by

Last night Luke and I were craving some goat cheese. If you haven’t eaten this type of cheese before, you are missing out! I’ve had friends who were picky eaters try it and fall in love with it’s savory taste and soft texture.

Typically I’ll stuff chicken breasts with it and top them off with a basil leaf, but for some reason a breast of chicken didn’t appeal to me. I decided to use a whole rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. This is really my favorite way to eat this meat because it’s so tender, juicy and flavorful. Plus you get a ton of food with no hassle.

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Luke beat me with the better half of the wish-bone!

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I seasoned the chicken with a little oregano and heated it up in olive oil. Then I added some organic (5 grams of sugar or less too) marinara sauce and ample bits of fresh goats cheese.

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I baked it for about 10 minutes at 325 until the goat cheese was soft and the marinara was bubbling. We paired ours with red cabbage sautéed in a lot of butter and sea salt.

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This is a SUPER easy preparation of chicken that was incredibly flavorful. It would be perfect for any busy weeknight.

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I hope you all have a great week! I’ll be posted about some fabulous weddings I recently attended later this week. :)