Owen & Engine

After eating at Au Cheval in the West Loop, one of my coworkers recommended another restaurant for a great burger - Owen and Engine. It's a little off the beaten path near Diversey & Western Avenue, between west Lakeview & Logan Square. Hannah, Harriet and I trekked out on a Tuesday night for the evening special - a burger, beer & bourbon for only $15!

The entire menu immediately looked phenomenal and the restaurant exceeded my expectations. With a dark, living room vibe like Barrelhouse Flat, the ambiance was fun and perfect for a nice dinner without getting too fancy. The burger was the best I've had in Chicago and I look forward to going back. Highly recommended, check it out!

Farm beer burger on a potato bun with caramelized onions

For dessert, we had lavender ice cream sandwiched between two brownies, with a chocolate cookie + peanut butter ball on the side. YUM.

Importance of catching up

I saw this picture hanging up at a co-worker's desk last week. Magazine ads are always powerful, but this one was particularly notable and ahead of its time.

Turning the print advertisement around, it's an ad for Visit North Carolina in 2009, but carries on a different meaning now than it probably would have then.

Wisdom is realizing that catching up is more important than keeping up.

In a world of constant updates & social media, it was a great reminder that you don't have to keep up with everyone's online statuses, photos, etc. But when you see them in person, talk on the phone or talk in detail, you can hear those things then.

August quotes

Funny quotes this month about social media & relationships, enjoy!

"When Chris was little, he wanted to have nine kids so he could have an entire baseball team." -Lauren

“By the way can you tell us your unit number so we can see how much you’ve paid on your mortgage?” -Harriet

“We're not in 2050, it's not like people don't still watch DVDs.” -Joy H

“And then there was the Cracker Barrel fiasco with a 30-45 minute wait…and we waited.” -Eleni, #Artemasfamilyproblems

"He has a cat. Strike one.” -Hannah 

“He didn't buy cable last year because he had my Netflix password. So I changed it on him. Take that.” -Kaleigh, on her ex boyfriend

“He reminded us he could be meeting his future wife, we reminded him he could be meeting his potential murderer.” -Laura, on a friend's trip to visit a girl from Tinder

"His parents go to auctions and estate sales like every weekend and just buy him furniture." -Ricky, on how his house is so furnished

“Why would you ever have a company meeting at a popular bar on a rooftop on a Thursday? Maybe you’re not a good ad firm to hire.” -Harriet

“And our bill is only $14. God bless.” -Harriet, on the total happy hour check for three people 

“I had my most popular Instagram and Facebook post in the same day ever, and it was of my classroom. Cumulatively it’s the most likes I’ve gotten in a single post.” -Shelley

"Don't you know I turn into Enrique in like 5 seconds?" - Brock

"She picked out her ring at Costco because it was $4,000 instead of $6,000." -Irina

"I don't want that much of a ring, Mom." -Irina

"Stop selling yourself short." -Her Mom

"First of all if you're having your wedding at a winery, get stemless glasses." -Brooke

“If you’ve been dating for six years and go to a foreign country and come back without a ring, there is definitely a problem.” -John

"They're not really good friends...If I had to rank them on a social media scale, they're Snapchat friends and like each other's photos occasionally." -Helen

“What are they divorced? It's like a cat. Someone just has to take custody, you can’t switch off day to day.” -Harriet

“And no one knew the cupid shuffle.” -Brock, on a wedding

“It’s been the best birth control ever. I don’t even want to think about having kids anymore.” -Helen, on having a dog

“Who gets married on a Monday?” -Alex C. 

“I have a lot of work which is kind of annoying.” -Eleni
“Oh, you have to do work while you’re at college?” -Katie

“She must be using the wrong filters.” -Emily S, on bad Instagram photos 

“For every vendor they had, they had a sign up for where they were from in Greece.” -Shaina, on an Indianapolis Greek fest 

Invision: app visualization

My co-worker Lauren and I participated in an internal work competition earlier this summer where we pitched a mobile application. My intern buddy told us about a tool called Invision that he used in an app development competition, and it changed our whole presentation for the better.

Invision lets you upload images or screenshots (think: Powerpoint slides) and add clickability function to allow for an interactive demonstration. You can use it on a computer or mobile device, so when you walk through an idea the audience can understand how it would work live. A significant amount of the features are free, and a one-month and one-year subscriptions are reasonably priced if you plan on using it for more than one project.

Additionally, it lets you send the link to the web app to anyone via email or text, so the app mockup actually downloads to your phone. If you need to visualize your idea or make something interactive, check this out.

Empty inbox

An empty inbox is one of the greatest feelings ever #accomplishments

Outlook inbox view, even it puts a smiley face

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

Commuting- a time to disconnect?

Everyone commutes. Whether it's to and from work, while traveling or throughout the neighborhood they live in - people commute through car, train, bus and other options all week long. 

Look on any bus or train these days and more than half of individuals are drowning in their smartphones. Hearing "I was lost in the world of Instagram and missed my stop" is normal to hear from people my age. Just on the platform the other day, every single person waiting was on their phone.   

The L platform for the Red Line

On my daily commute to work, I often struggle with whether commuting is a time to enjoy some quiet time to yourself (the L is pretty silent in the morning) or connect with your devices- whether you're reading, on social media or email.

The desire to connect can sometimes dictate a commute. Similar to the New York subway, the red line of the Chicago L is underground, so cell service is minimal. This is different than the brown line, which although slower, is above ground, or the bus which follows the lakefront.

I've found myself guilty of doubling my commute time to take an alternate transit option when I need to make phone calls or be part of a group texting conversation. The amount of times I did this made me stop and think, is it worth it? How bad is it really to DISconnect? 

The next morning, I timed how long you are out of phone service on the red line. There is a whopping total of 10 minutes underground from the work subway stop to the above-ground stop I live at. 

That small number, 10, is in my head every time I'm making a transit decision. Is someone going to die if I wait 10 minutes to send a response to a text? Will this friend freak out if I call them back when I get off the L? Will I survive without checking Facebook, Instagram, Timehop and Twitter on the way to work? Will 10 minutes of silence kill you? The answers: no. A commute, if anything, IS the time of the day to disconnect from devices and ponder to yourself. 

On Uber, Lyft and rideshare services

"If you would have told people a year ago that they would get into people's personal cars instead of cabs, they would have been like, 'No.' But oh, there's an app for that? It's not creepy anymore."
-Hannah, on UberX