Madewell

Thanks for joining me this week!  On Sunday my mom and I went shopping and I found myself stopping into the Madewell shop for the first time.  Loved the cool vintage styling of this place and all the beautiful wares are well!  Too bad I had already purchased these prior to stepping into this place...
I picked up their Spring catalog on the way out and today I share with you some of my favorites from this issue.  Are you familiar with this shop?  Do you frequent it often? Because I can see myself coming back to shop here once my account allows me to :)

Photo layouts: Pugly Pixel

Nail Files

1. Sally Hansen, Brilliant Blush/ 2. Revlon, Peachy/ 3. Revlon, Make Mine Mango/ 4. Revlon, Cherries in the Snow/ 5. Sally Hansen, Commander in Chic/ 6. Ulta, Deep Desire/ 7. OPI, Holiday Glow


Since getting engaged a few months ago my new favorite thing is changing my nail polish color to reflect my mood, outfit, time of day, oh yay and to highlight the bling I am happy to wear!  To start this Monday off, I wanted to share with you some of my favorite colors I have in rotation right now.  I'm currently liking the Revlon Top Speed brand for its lighting fast drying time (about 60 seconds, until you can touch them) and the Sally Hansen Manicure in a bottle collection, which packs a base coat, top coat, strengthener, and grow treatment all into one bottle!  And with this secret weapon that I recently discovered, I always have time to do my nails!

Do you have brands/colors of polish that you are loving right now?  Please share!

Spring is on it's Way!

It was amazingly warm today in Chicago at around 64 degrees..in March!  That's almost unheard of really, in these Midwest parts.  We think 40 degree weather is nice this time of year.  I got started on my indoor bulb planting to celebrate the weather today and I hope these babies bring much needed color and brightness to the place because in all honesty we need it!  What's the weather like in your neck of the woods/rainforest and what are you doing to celebrate the changing of seasons?

Inspired by: Utterly Engaged

Photography: Utterly Engaged

After taking our first venue tour last weekend at a local barn, let's just say that I left feeling underwhelmed by the feeling on the space.  It seemed nice from the outside with a big red barn door and silo but the inside seemed dark and too country picnic-ish for a wedding.  What we did decide on is that we want to have the ceremony and reception all in the same place, so our guests don't have to shuffle around.  Needless to say I was in need of some major wedding decor inspiration.  I got my fill with the help of these two very different wedding styles found via Utterly Engaged.  I love the modern, sleek feel of the first space and the romantic and laid back vibe of the second.  The hunt continues for a venue.  Next up we are looking at possibly renting a tutor home located on a few acres of wooded preserved land. And I also got an idea from a co-worker to see about possibly renting out a bed and breakfast to serve as the venue.  Any out of the ordinary venue ideas you might have for me would also be greatly appreciated.  Wish me luck on my hunt!

*A few more wedding details:

  Guest List: 75

  Wedding Colors: Mint & Poppy with accents of Ivory & Yellow

  Honeymoon: Thailand

  Date: TBD

Dinner with Trader Joe's

The other night my main man Joe was out for the night, which left me to fend for myself for dinner.  This is one of my all time fav dinner for one recipes and *bonus* all the ingredients are a one stop shop at your local Trader Joe's! In my version I use 3 egg whites and only 1 yolk.  I make the egg omelet first and then set it aside and while the pan is still hot I throw in the greens and wait a few minutes until they get a bit wilted.  Then I spread the feta and red pepper spread on top and savor each bite!  HHmmm..I can taste it now.  Do you have any quick dinner for one recipes?! Please share.

March Happy!

Hello to a promise of warmer weather and sun rises on my way to work!  I welcome March today with open arms in hopes that I'll be winding down on wearing multiple layers to keep warm. And I welcome this week with a hope full outlook as Joe and I returned yesterday from a long ski weekend we took with family and friends at Granite Peak, WI.  Our weekend was filled with good company, deer and moose sightings, cozy fires, board games, and of course skiing! The time spent away was totally what I needed to come back to my comfortable surroundings.  Don't you just miss your home and love it that much more when you return from a trip?!  We walked in last night after being gone for two nights and the first thing I couldn't wait to do was fall into my clean bed! And a few hours later, I did :) Today I wanted to share some wall stencil inspiration.  A perfect solution for renters like us who still want to add a punch to our walls. I like to give Joe a say in the decor details, he does have to live with them too after all :)  We are almost in agreement with this one from Cutting Edge Stencils. I love the soothing graphic shapes and I can't wait to see how it will look in our kitchen.  The stencils from the photos below are from Royal Design Studio. Any home projects on your to-do list for this month?

Sunday Photo Shoot

My stylist friend, Victoria asked me to take photos of her two beautiful babies to sign on with Lily's Talent, a model/talent agency in Chicago. Her kids had both been in our photo studio before, so I knew they'd be great in front of the camera. We had a lot of fun with outfit changes and poses. Here are some of my favorite shots. How was your weekend?

On the March

I can't believe we are already in the beginnings of March! Which means that Spring is right around the corner ;) This morning I could almost feel the warmth developing. I think the sunshine and wool cap played a part, but I can tell by the sounds of the birds singing in the morning that warmer days are not far away!
I had fun playing around during a Walgreens Easter photo shoot a few weeks ago with these gals from Lily's Talent. They were a bit shy at first, but as soon as we brought out the Easter baskets full of sweets and treats and cranked the tunes, I had a great time capturing them having fun. We were rocking out to Hanna Montana and Selena Gomez (apparently these two ladies are not friends in real life- goes the rumor mill)! You learn so much from hanging out with two 7 year olds for an afternoon!