Spring Finally Comes to Chicago!

And to celebrate, I spent the weekend (mostly) outside.

On Saturday morning, the girls and I were up bright and early, on our way down to Soldier Field for a massive swap meet, run by the same people as our summertime Randolph St. Antiques Market.  We were tempted by many items, including a cowboy hat chip and dip bowl and these lovely hats (above), but I limited myself to a milk-glass vase, some grab bags full of ribbon and buttons, a few lilly pulitzer

handkerchiefs, and some very old cookie cutters.
Everything I bought was less than $5 each.  

Nate the great met up with us after riding his bike down the Lake Shore Path, and found some old cigarette cards with pictures of bikes which he plans to frame.  It was a fun setting for a swap meet, in the Soldier Field parking lot, and it got us warmed up for a summer of bargain hunting at the Antiques Fairs.  

After getting our fill of vintage items and random stuff, we went to Fifty/50 in Wicker Park for a lovely outdoor brunch, and what brunch is complete without bloody marys.  These ones were decked out with bacon - I may be ruined for every other bloody mary to come; we shall see.  

Saturday evening we celebrated my friend Katie's birthday at Santorini in Greek Town.  I had Greek mac&cheese/lasagne, and thoroughly enjoyed the Taramosolata we got for appetizers.
Sunday proved to be an even nicer day than Saturday, so Nate the Great and I went for a walk around our neighborhood, stopping at the Golden Apple for a brunch outside, and Scooters for Frozen Custard.  

In the week I was down in Florida, the flowers here in Chicago really 

started to pop.  I was so glad to see some nice gardens while out on our walk today, and am even more inspired to get mine going. 

That's our project for next weekend, unless something else springs up!