Countdown to Topshop!

Topshop is opening this September in Chicago right on Michigan Avenue.  I am beyond excited for this to happen!  Ever since I left London, I have missed it dearly.  They were just teasing me when they opened one in NYC and I fully expected it to hit LA before it came to the Midwest but my wish came true and it will be open in just a few short months!

Photo via Racked Chicago's Topshop Watch.

I want this:

And this: 

Ohhhh and these:

Now all I need is a raise so that I can afford all of it!

The Hunger Games

Okay if you have not read The Hunger Games series yet, you are seriously missing out.  I thought my obsession with the Twilight series was bad, but the only thing that was able to take my mind off of Twilight, was The Hunger Games, I'm even more obsessed with these books! I think it took me all of one week to read all 3 books.  And now I am anxiously awaiting the movie which is sure to be awesome next year!  These are definitely a "must-read"...you won't be disappointed!!

Sleepy

So tired today.  Couldn't sleep last night and it's so rainy and gloomy in Chicago today.  It's going to be a very long Thursday.

Found via Carlovely

Chicago Hot Spot: Broadway Antique Market

This past weekend I decided to hop on the Broadway bus and head north to check out the Broadway Antique Market.  There's nothing I like better than a good thrift store, and antique stores are almost like designer thrift stores.  You can find upscale treasures that are in great condition.  This place was way bigger than I was expecting and had SO many things I wanted!  Including about 30 different globes in all sizes and colors.  It took everything I had not to buy each and every one of them.  I absolutely love globes and I only own two which is far from being considered a "collection" so obviously I need more, right?  I also had to resist all the gorgeous CathrineHolm dishes they had in store.  I am determined to own a set of these mixing bowls someday, but it didn't seem right to spend $50 on just one, so I'm holding out.  Overall, it was a great store, and a lot of fun to look around! I will definitely be back.

CathrineHolm dishes.  Image via Bohemian Vintage.

A Formal Apology

This made me laugh this morning.   I seriously cannot wait to see the movie!

Found via G4tv

Big Joe!

I am a big fan of Cougar Town and proud of it!  I wasn't sure how I felt about the show at first but after this past season I am hooked.  It is hilarious!  I actually find myself laughing out loud while I watch it.  The cast is awesome and the humor is so quick and witty, I love it!  My favorite scenes are when Courtney Cox pulls out her wine glass "Big Joe," who later died (was broken) so she bought "Big Carl" as a replacement.

I recently came across this wine glass on Vat19's website that reminded me a lot of the late Big Joe.  It holds an entire bottle of wine in this one glass.  Genius huh?  I mean, there are plenty of nights that I happen to finish off a whole bottle myself.  But if I had this beauty, then I could say I'm having "Just one glass" and not feel like such a lush...right? 

Image via Vat19.com

Summer Hair

Refinery 29 recently posted an article on "The Lazy Girl's Guide to Gorgeous" which was right up my alley.  My beauty routine definitely gets a bit lazy in the summertime.  Especially with the serious heatwave we've been suffering through in Chicago lately, it's not worth the extra time and effort on my hair and makeup when you instantly start baking once you step outside.  One of the first products they featured in this list is Batiste Dry Shampoo. I swear by this stuff!! A friend of mine turned me on to it about a year ago and I can't live without it ever since.  It has honestly changed my life and totally made my morning routine much easier.  I now only wash my hair every 3 days.  The 2 days in between I use a little bit of this magic. It did take my hair a while to get used to it when I first started using it, but soon enough it was perfect.  And the best part? It's only $7.99 at Ulta! (gotta love those weekly Ulta coupons!)  You must try it.  I highly suggest the new "Fresh" scent!

Project Runway Season 9!

After what seems like FOREVER, the new season of Project Runway finally starts this Thursday!  I am so pumped for it.  I've been watching re-runs of the old seasons all week to gear up for it.  Here's some of my all time favorite looks from the past seasons!

From Season 8 runner-up, Mondo Guerra

Season 7 runner-up Emilio Sosa

Season 3 winner Jeffrey Sebelia

Amy

I was so sad to hear of Amy Winehouse's death over the weekend. In honor of her, here's my favorite Amy video...

Sack Lunch

I'm always looking for new and delicious ideas for sack lunches to take to work.  The criteria: they must be easy to make (before I was limited to a microwave as my only cooking tool, but recently my office has invested in a toaster oven which has totally changed the way I eat lunch!), it must be easy to transport, if I must assemble it at work then there must be a small number of ingredients to transport, I'd like it to be relatively healthy, and most importantly, it has to be absolutely YUMMY!  I generally pick one lunch and eat the same thing for a week at work.  Then when the next weekend rolls around, I come up with a new idea.  Well I think I just stumbled upon next week's sack lunch - a Ham, Brie and Apple Sandwich courtesy of Framed Cooks.  Thank you for the tasty idea!  It sounds so refreshing, perfect lunch for this Chicago summer.  YUM!  Have a great weekend!

Chicago Hot Spot: The Doughnut Vault

Chicago has a new little treasure this year that is absolutely worth trying if you haven't already.  The line may be around the block each morning, but it is definitely worth the wait.  The Doughnut Vault is literally a little hole in the wall and serves some of the best doughnuts I've had each morning until they run out.  The flavors are so different from the norm and oh-so delicious!   You must try it out!

Ampersands

I've recently discovered a new love for Ampersands. Not only is the word itself super fun to say, but I think they are such a cute and subtle way to reference love or togetherness. Now that I'm co-habitating, I find myself wanting to incorporate little ampersands here and there around the apartment. I've looked around and found a little inspiration on how to incorporate them into my home.

I adore the color of this wooden ampersand from Hindsvik's etsy shop.  It would be perfect for my bookshelf!

I love what they did with this chair on Apartment Therapy! This could be a good idea for my dining room table makeover...maybe an ampersand painted on each chair seat?

This Ampersand pillow from Gracioushome's Etsy Shop, would make the perfect throw pillow on our bed!

Heat Wave

Chicago is in a full on heat wave right now.  I'm talking 100 degrees.  I was outside for all of 5 minutes this afternoon and I'm spent.  It actually smells like sweat outside.  Sweaty is not a good look for me, so I will be hibernating until the heat has passed doing a variety of indoor activities and little home-improvement projects for the time being.  Stay cool everyone!

Found via What Silly Girls Like

Strawberry banana popsicle recipe via Fiona's Flavors!

Found via ffffound!

Sweet Dreams

I just love this sweet banner from catbird.  I think banners are such adorable and fun decorations but they are always so limited in terms of when and for how long you can display them. But this one could live year round in my bedroom!  It would fit so perfect above my windows.  And for $10 why would I not buy it, right?!

Dining Room Table Makeover

Lately I've been playing with the idea of painting my dining room table or chairs or both.  I go back and forth on the colors, whether I should go for neutrals like black or white, or add in some bright colors. I think it's definitely best to start with the table since it's much easier to paint, and see what colors I want to add in after that. I've scoured some design sites and found some awesome inspiration...



Via Apartment Therapy

Via Unpatterned

Via Design Sponge

West Elm Who?

West Elm might be my favorite home store.  I imagine heaven looks a lot like the inside of their stores.  I could definitely die happily in one of them.  I just got an email this week announcing their new Fall collection - have you seen it yet?!  It is absolutely gorgeous and nothing like I've ever seen there before!  The colors are so deep and rich and I already want everything!

French Dish

I have a deep love for any and all things French (I mean, who secretly doesn't want to be a French Girl?!).  So when I found this French Envelope Tray from Jayson Home & Garden, it was so difficult for me not to buy it on the spot!  I'm currently looking for a cute little dish to house my keys in my entryway at home and my current orange thrift-store bowl is not doing the trick.  This beauty would be perfect!  But $22 seems a bit steep so I've dedicated myself to an Etsy search in hopes to find something similar.  So far, no luck, but I'm hopeful!

Swimsuit Envy

Why-oh-why can't you shop online at Zara?! I guess it is sort of a good thing in terms of my bank account, but there's so many wonderful things online that I have yet to find in stores.  Like who knew they made such awesome swimsuits?!  And they both are on SALE! It's just not fair.  But just to be sure, I plan to hit up both Zara locations in downtown Chicago ASAP.  Girlfriend needs a new tube-top bikini, gotta shake off these tan-lines!

Arm Candy

When it comes to jewelry, I used to be strictly a necklace girl, but recently I've fallen in love with bracelets.  I seriously can't get enough of them!  It's such an easy way to dress up a simple outfit or add a splash of color to a basic black tee.  It seems like every store is packed with vibrant bangles this season!  Here's some of my faves...

Nicole Miller's Indego Africa Fabric Wrap Bracelets.  $25 for a set of 3. I LOVE the bright patterns and the bows give them just a touch of girlie-ness.  And the best part is, 15% of the proceeds are donated to Indego Africa.

Forever 21 Lacquered Pyramid Bracelet for $12.80.  So flashy and definitely makes a statement.  Perfect for evenings out!

Exotic Animal Bangle from The Limited, currently on sale for $17.94!  The snake-like print is so much fun in the bright yellow color. Perfect to punch-up a black ensemble!

Stylish Wine

I stumbled across this Mirage Expandable Wine Rack recently and fell in love with it.  If only I had a place to put this in my apartment! Even when it's not full, it still looks so stylish.  Maybe keep this on the back-burner for a potential birthday gift for Mom this year!