Chicago Brunching

Three of my good friends were up in Chicago last weekend for Lollapalooza, but we didn't walk over to Grant Park until 3 or so most days which left plenty of time for experiencing some of South Loop's finest brunch locations... or at least our favorites. This was probably the first time in quite a while I had made any real attempt at getting dressed/dolled up with moving and as hot as it had been, so I made a point of getting some pictures.

Outfit
Dress, Shoes: Target
Belt: Forever 21
Bracelets, Earrings: Charlotte Russe
Headband: DIY
Purse: Nine West, TJ Maxx
Sunglasses: Delias
(RIP... these little guys didn't survive the weekend, and they didn't even get worn to the actual festival!)

Brunch was at Eleven City Diner, a particular favorite of ours. I alone have been there a handful of times and somehow had never discovered how amazing their pancakes are!!! I definitely stole a few bites from Katelyn.

Band on the Run

All moved out of The Jungle in Bloomington, settled in Chicago, and yet again dealing with not having internet!!! Right now I'm at my parents' house in Southern Indiana and leaving for Florida tomorrow, and I think the condo down there has it so I'll try to crank out some posts/get some scheduled in case the wireless is for some reason not up when I get back to Chicago. It has been a crazy month, that's for sure.

For now, I'll leave you with some pictures from a Paul McCartney concert we saw at Wrigley Field on August 1. I'm not going to lie, I was excited when I heard we'd be seeing him, but probably not as excited as I should have been. He was never my FAVORITE Beatle, and most of my favorite songs were John songs, but he WAS a Beatle none the less. The show ended up being probably among my five favorite shows I have ever seen. He is still SO amazing live, and played a ton of Beatles music along with songs I apparently didn't even realize were his. If you have any interest in him/the Beatles, it is totally worth your while to spend the money to see him.

(As always, you can click any picture to get a bigger view!)

"McCartney has more hits than the Cubs"... Loved this one!

My little brother is a little bit of a nut.

John's "Give Peace a Chance"

Live or Let Die

Hey Jude

Day in the Life

Have you guys been up to anything fun this summer? Any other good concerts out there? One of my next posts will be a Lollapalooza recap of sorts. See you then!

Pattern Mixing Procrastination

Yesterday, the plan was to get up and finish packing so I could clean.

Instead, I woke up, did some pattern mixing, and went to lay out in the pool with my cousin instead. It's ok though, I got a nice tan.

Outfit
Dress: Forever 21
Sandals: Charlotte Russe
Sunglasses: Delias
Bag: Old Navy
Swimsuit: Target

Have I mentioned how much I hate packing? As if I don't procrastinate enough when I'm packing for a weekend trip, multiply that times 50 with me attempting to pack everything for two different destinations. I think my problem is really over analysis of the organizational methods of all of it... and my strong point is standing around assessing the situation without the motivation to get it finished. Oops! I think I'd make a great supervisor. (Haha) I guess one way or the other it's all getting thrown in a car or truck Saturday and on it's way!

Wonderland Kitchen Update

For those of you who may or may not follow, here's a little update of what's been going on over at Wonderland Kitchen:

(You can click any picture for a link to that post)

Super Cute Anthropologie Apron Obsessions

FARMbloomington Restaurant Review


Iced Coffee


Cookie-Bottomed Cupcakes


How Sweet's Bacon and Gorgonzola Roasted Potatoes

Where Have You Been Hiding?

This outfit is made almost entirely out of things that I have not worn in a really long time. Or, now that I think of it, I'm not sure that I've ever actually worn this tank top. I'm totally baffled as to why I haven't worn this skirt in something like a year. I think I was under the impression that it didn't fit anymore, or that it fit awkwardly, or something. Who knows, but it was a stupid impression because I love this skirt.

I'd like to say a special thank you to Sunday's storm that cooled the weather down to a tolerable level and in turn allowed me to do something with my hair other than wearing it in a tiny little bun.

Outfit
Tank, Skirt, Wedges: Old Navy
Bracelets, Earrings: Charlotte Russe
Ring: American Eagle
Belt: Target
Necklace: Forever 21

What's New with Steve Madden

It occurred to me that since I've more or less been living in sandals and my beloved Dolce Vita knock off wedges from Target, I haven't so much as taken a glimpse at any Steve Madden lately. This is good for my wallet, of course, but I was curious to see what was new.

(I think truth be told I may have been a little scared off by the fact that I keep making myself try on a pair I got last year that is more or less way too tall for me to do even the slightest amount of walking in. We're talking "could wear them out to dinner" and that's about it. I'm being more careful with letting the skyscrapers catch my eyes these days!)

I popped on over to the website, and there are definitely some noticeable trends making their way through the collection. Here are a few of the new styles...

One trend that can be easily spotted is the use of a lot of blue and purple:

Color blocking:

Thicker heels:

The sequin trend:

And again, the leopard print:

You can also currently get 30% off on the "Sneak Peek" section... so be sure to check those out and get them while they're on sale if anything catches your eye!

Are any of these new trends specifically appealing to you?

Heat Wave, Martha and the Vandellas Style

It finally rained today and brought the temperatures down just a little bit, but prior to that I think most of us in the U.S. have been dealing with some not-so-pleasant temperatures. So what's the plan for getting dressed to leave the house? Easy: things that are as un-clingy as possible, as uncovering as possible without being too-showy, hair UP, and little to no makeup. Here's how that plan pans out...

Outfit
Dress: Old Navy
Pocket Vest: J.C. Penney
Sandals: Target
Purse: Nine West, T.J. Maxx
Headband: For Love 21
Necklace: Target (I think?)

These shoes have been my "go-to nicer-than-flip-flops-but-still-comfortable-summer-sandals"... SUPER comfortable, though even these could not stand up to all of the walking required by a NYC visit. At least they match my summer purse almost perfectly.

How have you been staying cool?

Take a Ride on the Wild Side

Are you wild about leopard print? I know it always seems to catch my eye. The Forever 21+ Collection is all about the leopard right now. There's something for everyone, whether you want to absolutely stand out in a full-on leopard print fabric or just use it as an accent. Here is just a glimpse at some of the current leopard pieces.

(View the entire line on the Forever 21+ Section of their website by clicking here)

Longline Leopard Sweater: $22.80

Sleeveless Leopard Dress: $22.80

Leopard Open Cardigan: $15.80

Slub Cardigan with Leopard Scarf: $24.80

Leopard Pocket Top: $17.80

Leopard Sublimation Tee: $17.80

I know a few of these will have me stopping by the store as soon as I get to Chicago next week!

Staten Island's Snug Harbor

One day before I went into the city my friend Ashlee and I grabbed some iced coffees from Dunkin' Donuts and went over to Staten Island's Snug Harbor (a "cultural center and botannical garden"). Here are some pictures from the day:

Real life Wonderland??

The 9/11 Memorial

I could just about kick myself for not realizing they had a real life garden labyrinth! When googling Snug Harbor I can across that and these other real life hedge mazes.... so cool! I almost want to make it a point to travel to some of these places just to see them.

I'll admit that the following two pictures were not from Snug Harbor, but we saw these little guys over by Ashlee's apartment on our way back. They were too cute! The second picture also made me FINALLY realize why it's called "ducking". Maybe a little slow.

Man down!

"DUCK!"