big style, small price

What’s this, another blog post? To think I used to do it nearly every day… but summer is a busy time. The last week or so has been a blur – but a fun, sunny, musical blur (U2! pool party! shopping! grilling!), so I’m definitely not complaining.

As a thanks for hooking her up with U2 tickets, my friend Andrea bought me this dress from H&M when we were walking around State St. the day after the concert:

Such a fun print and color palette, right? The best part? It was $15.

a-maize-ing ensemble

Oh, hello! It’s been a while. Truth be told, I’ve simply been getting lazy and the dreaded C-word – no, not that, gutter-brains – comfortable. In any case, I’m back (for the moment) with what I wore to a really fun fall excursion this weekend. More than a dozen friends and I went to Richardson Farm in Spring Grove, IL, home of the world’s largest corn maze! We had spectacularly lovely, sunny weather during the afternoon but knew it’d cool off significantly once the sun went down, so it was all about layers.

Wore a cami under this Merona Ultimate Long-Sleeve Tee (in Mint Air) for extra warmth and paired it with a plaid vest by Heritage 1981 I’d never heard of this brand before, which is apparently made by Forever 21, but I got it at Crossroads in Evanston for $17. I’d been searching for the perfect vest for a very long time, and I really loved the fit, comfort, look, and style of this one (it also has a faux fur-lined hood, which I took off this weekend in favor of a hat).

office diva

I feel like I’m a little overdressed today, sort of. But I sort of don’t care. It’s still entirely office-appropriate, if flashy.

And sometimes you need some sparkle to make it through the week, am I right?

gypsy, tramp – thief?

Good morning! Tough to say what’s good about it, though, as a) it’s Monday, b) it’s a glum day, and c) I was wide awake at 2:30 am and tossed and turned for a good while after that. Then I forgot my coffee at home and felt stabby on the ridiculously stop-n-go (emphasis on the stop) CTA. As my beloved friend Kate would say, there is way too much Monday in today!

But whatever, at least I’m having a little fun.

I feel like this is, quite obviously, the sister outfit to my last post – but while that girl was the preppy cheerleader, this one is the boho art student. Or something.

easy, breezy, lucky

What’s that I spy after two days of rain & gloom?

Why, it’s the sun! Thank heavens! Hot and humid? Ok, we’re used to it. Hot and humid AND rainy? Ugh, PASS. But today I feel as summery as the weather in this easy-breezy look.

skirting the issue

“Ah, crap, I forgot a necklace.”

No, really – that was my thought here as I had begun taking pictures and walked to stop the cam & fix this egregious error. Oops!

the white stripes

Sorry, no Jack or Meg White here – just an abundance of white stripes!

Ok, maybe not an abundance. I was worried it was perhaps too stripey and/or too matchy-matchy. What say you?

whale of a tale

What do you think?

Too much?

I threw together this nautical look for bopping around today. I absolutely love the nautical trend, though I hesitate to even call it a trend because it’s so classic. Like the ocean tide, its popularity ebbs and wanes, though right now it seems to be experiencing a surge as anchors and other similarly nautical items fill the racks.

marooned

Memorial Day weekend means it is finally feeling like summertime in the city, and I have been maximizing my time and especially FUN to the extreme. Saturday was particularly jam-packed, hitting up IML (International Mr. Leather conference – purely for the people-watching, which was just as hilarious as we anticipated), then visiting our friend Tate at Louis Vuitton (my first time in the store – we got champagne!), then shopping with William, then off to Pops for Champagne with the boys, followed by Kit Kat and Piehole Pizza. Whew! And during all that running around, I wore this:

Totally casual, nothing super special – jeans: L.e.i., gladiator sandals: Steve Madden, chain bracelet (a nod to IML): H&M, maroon tank: Greensource (size S).

watercolor racerback & skinnies

Yesterday was a bit of a rough Monday for me, to the point that I began to feel the need to something drastic, like dye my hair dark brown or get a tattoo or adopt a puppy. While some of those might work ok, the feeling mercifully passed (for the moment), thanks in large part to good fun with good friends later in the evening.

I woke up this morning feeling good, too, and once I got dressed, I felt great. When you like the way you look, you carry yourself completely differently; you walk with confidence, hold your head higher, stand up straighter, and maybe even strut.

“Confidence, Cohen!” (Oh, how I miss The OC!)

Anyway, check the look:

Don’t worry – I really do have 2 legs. I’m just standing like a crazy person!