The view from my second floor apartment this past week oddly varied from snowy and bleak to sunny and perfect. If you're a true Chicagoan, you know that this is nothing new when it comes to our springs (summer usually makes up for it... usually). March was an extremely busy month for me, since I moved apartments thanks to the help of my wonderful friends! I didn't manage to do much writing, and my days were spent unboxing items and buying/building necessities for the new apartment. But even with my packed schedule and the completely erratic weather we've faced, I managed to have a lively and lovely spring break.
I first checked out a special event for media and bloggers that introduced
Hoppy Hour at 360 CHICAGO (formerly known as the John Hancock), which was hosted by
Revolution Brewing and
KOVAL Distillery. I walked in stunned at the seriously gorgeous view all around me, yet it didn't take long until I experienced my first
TILT, which was amazing! If you've never been--or if you've only checked out the Willis Tower Skydeck--I highly recommend getting your TILT on: basically, it's an extended part of moving glass that you stand inside, with bars that you hold onto while you safely lean out over the Magnificent Mile and Chicago's beautiful skyline. Those who have kids (or those with babysitting blues that need an activity idea) will also love that kids TILT for free on Sundays from 1-3pm!
The newly opened Bar 94 adds an even classier touch while you and your friends, family or date sip drinks and gaze 1,000 feet above Michigan Ave. Revolution Brewing was kind enough to provide some of their most popular beers, and KOVAL also shared some delicious gin and bourbon cocktails. The event even included delicious dinner and dessert bites from Blue Apron and a dope DJ. I was so happy to have bumped into my fellow Windy City Bloggers,
Destiny and
Lily!
Everyone from the 360 CHICAGO, Revolution and KOVAL teams were very sweet and accommodating, so I'm genuinely excited to see their collaborations flourish. Hoppy Hour is every Thursday from 6-9pm, and trust me when I say you don't want to miss it!
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| Sipping my KOVAL cocktail over the best view of the city. |
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| GM of Revolution Brewing. |
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| KOVAL sent one of their best to represent them--Wilson was awesome! |
360 CHICAGO also has other fantastic events to choose from on any day, including
trivia on Fridays,
yoga on Saturdays, and a once-per-month
art night with Bottle and Bottega on specific Wednesdays. Bottle and Bottega was also present at the event and Ines, the general manager of Bottle and Bottega, was super helpful while I pitifully painted a blue building on the canvas she brought for us to add our ideas to.
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| Mine is the blue building. I think I should stick to writing... |
A week later, I was graciously invited to attend a spring soiree hosted by award-winning event planner, author, and chief eventeur Debi Lilly. Debi has hosted numerous events for clients like Oprah Winfrey, Dom Perignon, Bentley, Cartier, Harry Winston, Lamborghini, Moet Hennessy and Bulgari. You really wouldn't think it though, because in person Debi is endearingly kind, silly, and modest.
Upon entering the DL Loft, I was greeted with the choice of a rosé fizz or carrot bellini (I always say yes to rosé) and I was able chat, mingle and meet some very sweet and creative bloggers like
Haley and
Kadeeja!
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| The beautiful Debi Lilly! |
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| Rosé fizz. |
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| We could not stop eating these! |
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| Created my own bouquet after a brief lesson from Debi herself. |
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| When there's a flower wall, you pose. |
We got to leave with the bouquets that Debi helped us create during a fun lesson, a bag of candies, cookies, and some beautifully-scented Debi Lilly candles. I'm so glad I attended and got to be creative with flowers for a night, and I cannot wait to keep creating my own bouquets. Be sure to stop by the floral department at your local Jewel to check out arrangements, bouquets, vases, and candles by Debi Lilly, and browse her online store
here!
I was absolutely thrilled when KOVAL invited me on one of their distillery tours at their Ravenswood store shortly after the 360 event. After an introduction to the story behind KOVAL's origination (ex: they are Chicago's first distillery since the mid-1800s!), our cordial guide provided us with sample glasses as we prepared to try many of their spirits. As a vodka and tequila lover I was open to the tasting of their bourbon, rye, and gin, but my favorite was definitely the
ginger liqueur!
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| Pic credit goes to Mike for this one! |
Surrounded by empty, single barrels, we sipped and listened to the rich history behind KOVAL and its founders. It was clear that while KOVAL upholds its traditions, it is still a growing and thriving company that is proud of its Chicago roots.
Huge shout out to Emily from KOVAL for letting me check out the fun and informative tour--I definitely left with a bottle of the ginger liqueur and a new palette for whiskey! You can find info on their Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday tours
here.
I also attended a fun shop-and-drink event in Lincoln Park hosted by
Zapwater for the Windy City Bloggers. After checking out the beautiful jewelry by Kendra Scott and the amazing deals at Loft, my friend
Gaby and I grabbed some drinks at
Tuco and Blondie. The mezcal cocktails I tried were phenomenal, and Gaby loved her elotes!
The rest of my week was spent at the gym, resting, or catching up with friends and family. My nephew Kason was in town for his spring break, and I loved being a tia once again. It is so crazy how time flies; it's as if I blinked and now he's almost a preteen who will soon be way taller than me! During our time together we ran errands, went to Barnes and Noble to get the book he so desperately wanted, "Gravity Falls: Journal 3," and laughed until our bellies hurt. Easter was so much fun, as we ended our vacation with a family dinner and saw the very interesting sci-fi thriller "Ready Player One." It's safe to say I had the best spring break yet, getting back into my groove and remembering who and what is truly important in my life.
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| His idea of "helping" me build my bookshelf! |
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| He was amazed at the "small" sized Icee. |
Even if it isn't the ideal spring right now, I hope you guys are enjoying the time spent inside with your loved ones. (And if you get cabin fever, at least you have this post for date night/activity ideas when you venture into the unpredictable abyss outside.)
xo
