back to reality

 {on our way back into the city from the hamptons}

 {lots of limes for the best fresh margaritas i've ever tasted}

{wine tasting in the hamptons}

just arrived back in chicago from a perfectly relaxing and delicious girls weekend in new york. i have so many wonderful photos and a couple new purchases i can't wait to share with you... but until then just a few photos snapped on my phone and i'm off to bed!

tgif and adios!

ladies, i'm off to ny for the weekend! shopping, good food, a trip to the hamptons and maybe even a stop at the met for the mcqueen exhibit. and most importantly - catching up with the girls! have a warm and fantastic holiday weekend!!

pic sources: this is glamorous, wildfox

{outfit post - pink and green}

{anthropologie green button down (on sale!), zara pink skirt (borrowed from this lovely lady), dolce vita 'claudine' patent booties, michael kors watch, vintage ring, urban outfitters sunnies, mac 'magenta madness' pigment}

i've been a bit resistant to the entire color blocking trend, although i've seen a couple of ladies do it beautifully (like taylor here). the subtle print on this green blouse (also seen here) and nude shoes let me test out this bright trend without jumping 100% in. but now i think i've caught the color blocking bug. what about you, have you tried out color blocking yet?  

diy {cheap} art

{liz cabral's, from flare magazine, wall of fashion week invites.}

{liz's invite to alexander mcqueen's 'the girl who lived in the tree' show.}

{britt aboutaleb's, from elle, fashion week invites.}

the coveteur is known for the lustworthy closets it highlights, but i also love the site for its endless decor inspiration. a couple of the featured ladies on the site all had the same idea of framing their invites to fashion shows. 

while i don't have any fashion week invites to hang on my walls (how i wish!), this weekend i framed a couple things that are special to my boyfriend and me and placed them around the home. these, mingled with some of our etsy prints and photos i've taken, makes for a nice mixture of art. 

ps - i want to spray paint all these frames a glossy black. what do you think?

{framed our photo booth strips. we snuck walter into the booth for the middle strip. it didn't work out so well.}

 {our first date. 2002!! the boy and i met in high school.}

{fortune cookie fortunes - my favorite thing about chinese takeout.}

first two pic sources: the coveteur 

{outfit post - favorites}

{myne 'sienna'coral dress, forever 21 leopard belt, banana republic beaded clutch, dolce vita 'claudine' patent booties, vintage & h&m bracelets, revelon orange flip lipstick, essie 'french affair' on nails}

this dress is one of my favorite purchases of late. i wore it earlier this spring with a sweater to counter the brisk weather. the temps this weekend didn't call for any extra layers so instead i cinched it with a leopard belt from forever 21 and paired it with my new favorite shoes and clutch for a friend's bridal shower. 

weekend round up 5.23

 {a new vintage necklace from a fab friend}

 {photo booth fun}

 {some presents for friends}

{new mugs}

{bbq dinner at lillie q}

this weekend was anything but relaxing. after a couple weeks of apartment hunting we've decided not to move after all. so we spent most of saturday and sunday at ikea and vintage shops finding new goodies for our home. we did, however, enjoy a delicious bbq meal out and a bit of photo booth fun saturday night.

banana republic from coast to coast

{me, anna from see jane, carmen from viva fashion blog}

 

{kinsey from kinsey michaels, noelani from mon petit chou chou, jaclyn from sparkle birds, e from district of chic}

{katy from sugar laws, beth from bjones style, fasshonaburu}

{cheyenne from cheyenne meets chanel, aimee from song of style, rachel from project beltway}

{lindsey from saucy glossie, amber from amber's notebook, jen from jen loves kev}

{laura from on the racks, nadine from a girls guide to seattle, elizabeth from so much to smile about}

i had a fantastic time last night at banana republic's after 5 event! their summer selection is so bright and chic and it was such fun styling it alongside anna jane. 

over the last week i've been checking the outfits of all the other bloggers who were part of the event. don't you love how different everyone's looks are even with the same pieces? that little green vest seems to be a bloggers delight.

 {some shots from last night, love that ikat blue sundress}

thanks to all who came out and thanks to banana republic for having me!

{outfit post - urban safari}

{banana republic safari dress and belt, h&m neon flowered dress, steve madden heels, gifted banana republic beaded clutch, vintage bracelets, michael kors watch, essie geranium and turquoise & caicos nail polish, benefit jing a ling lipstick}

this spring i've been hunting for a neutral layering piece, and this little khaki number from banana republic is exactly what i had in mind. it's part sleeveless trench, part safari dress and 100% perfect. i layered it over a flowered neon dress to try out the neon + neutral trend that i'm currently crushing on, but i can't wait to play around with it all spring and into summer.


ps - tonight i'll be at the michigan ave banana republic along with anna from see jane for their after 5 event. if you're in the area i hope you can stop by to say hi and do some spring shopping! more details here.

make a splash

{one for the money}

anthropologie sun goddess one piece $218

topshop black scallop striped one piece $60

anthropologie aughing gull one piece $318

{playful prints}

mara hoffman embroidered balconette bikini $275

topshop blue doily retro cup bikini $56

topshop red stripe bandeau bikini $55

{strappy solids}

shimmi nicole lace up bandeau bikini $185

anthropologie vitamin d bikini $196

{mix and match: polka dot bottom}

topshop ink frill balconette bikini top $28

old navy americana bandeau bikini top $15

jcrew drew polka dot bikini briefs $50

{mix and match: orange bottom}

h&m crochet bandeau bikini - $6.99

old navy tribal print bandeau bikini $17.50

orange bikini bottoms $6.00

while it may not feel like summer quite yet (at least in chicago), memorial day is a couple weeks away which means beaches, boats and bikinis are also right around the corner. swimsuits are just about the only thing i don't enjoy shopping for, so i haven't bought a new one in a year or two. i'm thinking about adding a chic one piece to my beach bag this year, like the anthropologie white one-piece (waiting/hoping/wishing for it to hit the sale racks). 

i also love mixing separates to come up with lots of different bikini options on the cheap. an orange bottom seems like a good buy - paired with anything from navy tribal print to white crochet... or maybe bright pink polka dots... endless possibilities!

{outfit post - rain delay}

 {jcrew checkered button down, forever 21 white jacquard skirt, old navy yellow rain jacket, forever 21 readers, old navy polka dot umbrella, hunter rain boots, geranium and turquoise & caicos nail polish}

after the sunny weather we had last week, the weekend's rainy forecast was even more unwelcome. but when you have fun rain gear, like a bright yellow slicker, it adds a bit of sunshine even on a rainy day. i found this old navy rain jacket a couple years ago for only $5, and i almost look forward to a dreary day just for an excuse to skip around town in it. 

weekend round up 5.16

{tried a mixed manicure this weekend - do you like?}

 {neon h&m belt}

 {new shoes standing in as book ends}

{walter's new toy, mr. happy moppy. give it one week before he's destroyed it.}

{did you catch friday's exciting news and outfit post?}

a cold and rainy weekend, yet still busy, filled with errands and catching up with friends. and then punctuated by a bulls win sunday night! now off to tackle a busy, busy week.

{outfit post - in bloom}

 {gifted banana republic maxi dress, gifted banana republic button down, forever 21 ring, forever 21 handbag, michael kors watch, vintage necklace, revlon orange flip lipstick}

the weather in chicago this week has been absolutely beautiful. which worked out quite nicely as i don't think i could have waited much longer to wear this banana republic printed maxi. the soft colors and pretty print make it the perfect spring dress. and it's easily one of the comfiest things i own. to make it a bit more work appropriate i paired it with a knotted button down - also great for when the temps dip a bit at night. 

next thursday, i'm so excited (and flattered) to be hosting banana republic's after 5 event at chicago's flagship store (744 n michican ave.), along with anna jane from see jane . i hope you'll stop by to check out their lovely spring selection and say hi! plus its 25% off your purchase and they'll be raffling off a memorial day trip for 2 to LA! and who doesn't need a little (free) getaway?

have a great weekend ladies and hopefully see some of you next week!