Sunshine & Eyelet

in Style

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Madewell eyelet dress / denim vest, old / wedges, similar / Anthropologie necklace

I’ve been waiting for quite some time now for the weather to really warm up in Chicago so that I have an excuse to finally wear this dress. I picked it up back in April at the Madewell Chicago opening and finally got around to wearing it when I was back in Dallas a few weeks ago. The weather has finally started feeling like summer here, but for whatever reason I wore yoga pants and no makeup almost exclusively last week. Dressing up for work seems to come in waves for me and last week was a tidal wave of laziness.

I wore it again this week, with literally the same vest and necklace. I figured Chicago hadn’t seen the outfit yet, so I brought it back out to play. The dress itself is really comfortable and fits me perfectly. I paired it with an old denim vest I’d been storing in my closet. It added just enough warmth when I was in the restaurant. I love that I can switch out sandals for wedges and take it from work wear to summer night out. And I’m obsessed with the necklace my sister gave me and love how it adds a fun pop of color.

Thanks for finally showing up, summer!

  • 5 Comments | June 18, 2013
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Cheers to You, Dad

in Chit Chat

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He taught my to ride a bike, drive a car, to be adventurous and independent. Grounded me for sneaking out, then helped me move across the country to start a new chapter of my life. Is always supportive, loving and is a great beer drinking partner. I’m so lucky to be blessed with such a wonderful dad. Happy Father’s Day, I love you so very much!

  • Leave a comment | June 16, 2013
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Nature Walking

in Chit Chat

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This week has been a really good one for me. Not only did my motivation and inspiration suddenly come flowing back in (must have been that last minute vacation home!), but I’ve been taking long morning walks with Oliver that have allowed us to explore new parts of Lincoln Park and the fur child’s love of sand. If it never snowed here, you’d better believe this would be my morning routine every day of my life.

This week the schedule has gone a little something like this… wake up at 7:45 — I’m so not a morning person, through on my workout gear, and head out the door with a water bottle and a dish for Oliver so he doesn’t overheat in that fur coat of his and head out the door! We’ve been going different routes, but all of them include the cruise down the lake and through Lincoln Park. It’s like being out in the wilderness with all the trees & flowers, and instead of mountains to gawk at, we’ve got skyscrapers. Not a bad trade-off.

Something about being outside and surrounded by trees is so refreshing and makes the rest of my day so wonderful. Oliver comes back exhausted, while I come back recharged and ready to take on the day. I’m already looking forward to our weekend walks that will probably end on a patio with a cup of coffee in hand. Ahhh, just another reason I love this city so much in the summer.

If I can keep this routine up for the next few months, I’ll be the most stress-free & calm person by summer’s end. How do you start your days on the right foot?

  • Leave a comment | June 14, 2013
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Dose Market

in Chit Chat

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Last Sunday we (Christine, Melanie & Andrea) visited Dose Market that features fashion and food. I’d been hearing wonderful things about it for a while now and I was thrilled to finally check it out — my idea of the perfect start to a summer Sunday.

It’s well-curated, small, indoors and the venue was pretty incredible. There were a bunch of small independent jewelry designers, paper companies, bakeries, a cheese-maker, more restaurants and a few clothing designers. I picked up a jar of chimichurri sauce, a wedge of the most delicious brie cheese and a beautiful pair of earrings from Cities in Dust. We ate a quick lunch — cuban sandwiches and a slider for me — and washed it down with a Goose Island Green Line and a few bites of the tastiest old-fashioned donut I’ve ever eaten!

I’m already looking forward to the next Dose Market to see who they bring in! You better believe this is where I’ll be doing my Christmas shopping next year.

  • 3 Comments | June 13, 2013
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Hi-Low

in Style

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Free People dress / wedges, similar / Kelly Wynne bag / Hearts Casings Necklace / Kate Spade earrings / J.Crew bracelets 1, 2, 3 / Essie Absolutely Shore

Last week I headed back to Dallas for a very last minute trip to surprise my mom and family. I realized that this was my last opportunity to see my entire family together until Thanksgiving. It’s sort of insane how difficult it can be to get us all together. We’re spread out across the country and everyone’s schedules are different, so when I saw the chance, I jumped on it. And frankly, seeing all their pictures together at the pool and eating in the backyard had gotten me a bit homesick.

My dad & I planned to surprise my mom by hiding me in the back house & telling her there was a present for her. As I expected, she burst into tears when she walked in (annnnnd so did I).

My three days were spent catching up with my family, helping my mom redecorate my sister’s room and other parts of the house, eating Mexican food and just relaxing. I was having a really really hard time focusing after I got back from Europe and I think this extra bit of vacation was just what I needed to get my life back together. Sometimes you just need to take some time for yourself, right?

As if you haven’t seen enough of this dress from here and on Instagram, here it is one more time. I wore it out to dinner one night, and frankly, I’m a little obsessed with it. I love the hi-low cut, lace and open back, the breeziness and the simple color scheme. And it makes me feel sexy, yeah, I said it.

Now that I’m back in Chicago, I’m finally focused and knocking out work (and I’m again excited about the work!). The weather is amazing and I can’t wait to wear this dress again. I’m thinking a patio dinner with girlfriends needs to happen soon! Happy hump day!

  • 4 Comments | June 12, 2013
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