Casual Weekend

Tee (similar) - JCrew Factory / Shorts (similar) - Gap / Booties (similar) - Target / Bag - Michael Kors / Necklace (similar) - gifted / Watch - Kate Spade

This weekend it bounced back up to the upper 70's, so I decided to pull out my shorts one last time.  I've really been loving the look of long sleeves with shorts lately, so I paired them with my favorite long sleeve tee.  It was perfect for an afternoon of running errands and looking cute while taking 10 minutes attempting to parallel park downtown #strugs.  

Linking up with Trend Spin Linkup, Style Me Wednesday and Style Sessions.

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This weekend...

This weekend I...

...Went with Jeff to Acadia, which is one of the most amusingly pretentious dining experiences I've ever had.  Like, each appetizer bite came on a different moss-covered stick or log block.  We went for the tasting menu, which included some things I've never tried before, including pig heart and squab (I had a total Tim Riggins flashback with that one).  Some of it was a little odd, but for the most part amazingly good.
...Met with my planner and the stationary lady to pick out our wedding invitations, and I went total designer nerd crazy over all of the options.  I'm super excited about what we chose!
...Went on a little progressive dinner through the South Loop, where we stopped at four different houses and had a different small plate at each (including some amazing cauliflower soup!).  We only knew the couple that organized everything, so it was fun to meet some new people in our neighborhood and see everyone's places.
...Totally splurged on some fancy new shoes to celebrate the new job.  I just couldn't help myself!
...Got a little fall mani/pedi.  #treatyoself
...Started watching You're the Worst and loved it, so hilarious!  The season just ended but it's still available on OnDemand if you want to catch up.

I hope you had a good one!

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A few updates around the house

So, I've got some news. Drumroll, please....

I'm employed again! I'm starting my new job on Monday! It was a fun couple of months off, but I'm glad to be heading back to the workplace. That being said, this past week I was scrambling a bit to finish all of the projects I started over the summer. I've been cleaning and fixing and crafting up a storm. A couple of those projects were dressing up our living room with some new lamps and artwork on our staircase.

Flower painting - Target / Tree print - EyePoetryPhotography / Lovely print - me / Elephant print - Parima Creative Studio / Swatches painting - me / Flower print - Yao Cheng

Lamp - Target

Of course I still have more plans for this room, including but not limited to new end tables and a coffee table that don't have green marble tops.

I hope you have a good weekend! 

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A little business casual

Sweater - Loft / Shirt - Ann Taylor / Pants - Old Navy (on sale!) / Flats - Payless / Necklace - c/o Lovelywholesale.com / Watch - Kate Spade

I've been doing a lot of networking lately, and it's always hard to decide what to wear/how dressed up to get.  I feel like business casual is usually the perfect mix of dressed up but not too dressed up.  Another struggle I've been having is what to order on coffee dates.  I'm still a child and don't drink coffee, and while I've found things that I like to order at most coffee places, they don't really seem grown up enough to make a good impression.  Like, hot chocolate is definitely out, and the passion fruit iced tea at Starbucks is right on the edge (it may be called tea, but it's basically Kool-Aid).  Then, I had a little breakthrough.  Chai tea!  Looks like I'm (almost) a grown up after all.

Linking up with Monday Bloom, Friday Fab Favorites, What I Wore to Work and Life & Style.

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Fall Boot Wishlist

Every year, I get most excited at this time of year about boots.  They are basically the only footwear I utilize between October and April, if not longer (silly Chicago).  For the past couple of years, I've limited myself to one nice new pair a year since they can be so expensive.  This year, I'm not sure what to do.  I splurged early during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale on some gorgeous Sam Edelman booties, but now I'm wondering if they should really count as my one pair.  There was a little asterisk on the deal I made for myself, and that asterisk says that only tall boots count towards this rule.  And, since I'm following a monthly clothing budget this year, as long as another pair of boots fits into my budget, then really, what does it matter?

Either way, whether I allow myself another pair this year or not, here are some of the boots and booties on my wishlist:

Booties: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

Boots: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 

Do you set weird clothing rules for yourself?  Which pair is your favorite?

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Summer Throwback

Jacket - JCrew Factory / Dress - c/o Wal-G / Sandals - Hive & Honey / Necklace - eBay

It jumped back up into the 80's this weekend, and I just had to bring summer back for one more day. This maxi from Wal-G was the perfect choice. The cut isn't normally something I would go for, because, well, bra straps. I decided to try it anyway, and a day in a strapless bra was definitely worth it.

With that being said, happy first day of fall! Bring on the cooler weather and pumpkin spice ;)

Linking up with Random Wednesday, Whatcha Wearing Wednesday, Style Sessions, Style Me Wednesday, Tuesday Pretties and Trend Spin Linkup.

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This weekend...

This weekend I...

...Went with Jeff to go start our registry!  Turns out, it's really fun to have the little scanner.  And, as a bonus, Crate & Barrel gives you a little pressie just for registering :)
...Tried Graham Elliot Bistro and sat out on their adorable back patio.  Pluses of the evening: they had cava on the menu, and the lobster risotto.  One major minus?  The "back patio," while adorable, is still just an alley in Chicago, so I really shouldn't have been surprised when a little rat ran by our table.
...Went out to my grandma's for a little family barbecue, and admired her impressive vintage martini glass & shaker collection.
...Got excited that Gilmore Girls is coming to Netflix, and then remembered that I have all of the seasons on DVD and can watch them any time, and so went on a little Sunday afternoon binge.
...Met up with a couple of friends at Vice Brewing again and decided it's my new favorite neighborhood joint.  A taproom was definitely something the South Loop needed.

I hope you had a good one!

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DIY Fall Candy Corn Candles

Remember my quest for candy corn a couple of weeks ago?  Well it wasn't for eating (I actually hate the stuff!), it was for decorating.  I'm not exactly where I got the idea, but I was browsing Pinterest and saw some decorations using candy corn, and thought it would look great as a candle holder.

I already had some mason jars in various sizes (I originally found them at Target), so I filled them about a quarter of the way full with candy corn, put the candles in, and then filled in with more candy corn around the sides.  I originally wanted real votives, but then I realized, duh, that real votives would melt the candy as well as the wax.  These are flameless candles (also from Target) that I'll be able to use all season.  You could also use real candles, but you would probably need to put them inside a little holder on top of the candy.

I made a bunch of them, so I have them scattered around the house, including in my dining room with my favorite little fox from last fall.

A fun little DIY that's less than 10 minutes of work?  Now that's definitely my style!

I hope you have a great weekend! 

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WWJCD?

Shirt - JCrew Factory / Sweater (similar) and Jeans - Gap / Blazer - JCrew / Boots - Sam Edelman / Necklace - Baublebar / Bracelet - Stella & Dot

Last weekend in Chicago it was fifty degrees out. Five zero. And it's technically still summer. I know I've been talking about wanting to wear my fall clothes, but I meant maybe wearing pants instead of shorts. I could not bear to break out a coat, because, come on. So instead, I asked myself, WWJCD (What Would JCrew Do)?  Layer, of course!  Button down plus sweater plus blazer (plus extra hidden tank underneath it all) definitely held its own against the cold.

Has fall hit your neighborhood yet?

Linking up with Monday Bloom and Fab Favorites.

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Review: Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Nail Polish

I've been waiting and waiting to try Sally Hansen's new nail polish, Miracle Gel, for what seems like forever (but was probably just a couple of weeks).  I must not have visited my Target the week the Miracle Gel showed up on shelves (I know, shocker), and by the time I saw the displays all of the good colors were gone.  I kept checking back, until I finally realized that I could just order it online when I was purchasing some furniture.  I went for Wine Stock and also grabbed their top coat.

The Miracle Gel is supposed to be like a gel manicure, but without the UV light and without the tricky removal process.  You just apply two coats of the color (no base coat!) and then one coat of the special top coat and let it dry.  When it's time for removal, regular nail polish remover will take it off.
The polish itself went on really nicely, it has a big brush which helps it to go on in two or three swipes.  I was confused about whether it needed sunlight to dry (because the directions talk about it using regular light to dry), but painted my nails at night and they still dried fine.

The pros of this polish is that it is way shinier than regular nail polish.  At day seven it was just as shiny as on day one.  However, the polish makes the claim that it lasts up to fourteen days, and mine started chipping on day four.  Mind, I was building furniture (I gotta live my life!) but not all of the chips were from that.

Overall, I really liked the look of the polish (especially the lasting shine), and it did about as well as my regular nail polish usually does before it chips.  I'm definitely going to buy a few more colors!

Have you tried Sally Hansen Miracle Gel?  How did it work out for you?

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A Little Faux

Tee - Loft (similar) / Skirt - Target / Heels - Sole Society / Bag - Coach Factory (similar) / Necklace (similar) and Bracelet - BaubleBar

I don't shop for clothes at Target anymore.  Yes, you read that correctly.  It's not that I don't like Target clothes.  It's just that the layout of the closest store is a little funky, and I like the rest of what Target has to offer so much that by the time I get to the clothing section my cart is so full that I don't feel like maneuvering through the clothing aisle with it.

Then some smart employee decided to hang this skirt on the outside aisle, and it literally drew me over from another section like a moth to the flame.  Between the shape and the faux leather scalloped look, I had to have it.  Target wins again.

Linking up with Random Wednesday and Style Me Wednesday.

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This weekend...

This weekend I...

...Worked on a bunch of projects around the house, including a gallery wall on the staircase, new lighting for the living room (btw, anyone in the market for some marble lamps from the '90s?), my Halloweeen costume (too soon?), some fall decorations, and a wedding DIY.
...Once again decided to count Thursday as part of the weekend, and went out to Kai Sushi for a birthday dinner for a friend, and then checked out the new brewpub in our neighborhood, Vice Brewing.  It actually shares an interior wall with my gym, so we've been trying to convince our personal trainer that an interior door between the two would be an excellent idea.
...Went on a lady date with a friend to check out her new neighborhood and maybe try to stalk the Real World cast - they're currently filming just two blocks from her place.  We epic failed on the Real Worlding, but did get some awesome tacos and some aggressive drinks at mas (the rajas con queso was our favorite).
...Had dinner at my parents' house to celebrate their anniversary (an excellent excuse for a champagne toast!) and am still in recovery from all of the desserts I consumed.  My siblings and I are all weird about what desserts we like (me - no cooked fruit, my sister - no chocolate, my brother - no cake or ice cream), which means my mom gets confused when we come over and makes everything she can think of.  I'm definitely not complaining.

I hope you had a good one!

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Loft Fall Style Sale

I don't usually give sales their own blog post, but in this case, I just couldn't help myself.  Ann Taylor Loft hit the nail on the head with their new fall collection, and I want every. single. piece.  Luckily, everything (including their lounge line, Lou & Grey) is currently 40% off, and you can earn Loft Cash Cards with every purchase over $50.  You may just be seeing some (err, a lot) of these pieces on this little blogger soon.

(click the images to shop)

What's your favorite piece?  I'm trying to decide between the leather sleeve jacket, the gray and white sweater, and the jewel collar oxford.  Welp.  Sorry September budget.

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