{outfit post - tribal}

{thrifted tribal print dress from zachary's smile, anthropologie belt, boutique 9 sandals, urban outfitters sunnies, revlon orange flip lipstick} 

last weekend while walking the pup i ran into emma from tres awesome. she was nice enough to snap a few photos of me in my neon hued tribal print dress and walter in his new alligator collar. if you haven't checked out her blog be sure to clickity click over - the looks she captures always make me proud of the chicago streetstyle scene. a couple of my latest favs: 

american girl

for me, fourth of july is the first time i genuinely feel summer has begun. with plans for a rooftop bbq and day on the boat this coming holiday i'm beginning to plan my weekend wardrobe... which looks to revolve around easy day dresses, comfortable sandals and beachy basics just like these. 


what are you looking forward to this fourth of july weekend?


clockwise, from top left:
{day dresses}
alexander wang handkerchief tie dress - $356
topshop red polka dot dress - $160
{beachy accessories}
juicy couture stripe floppy hat - $78
jcrew farmers market tote - $32.50
{bright nails}
essie pink parka - $8
essie clambake - $8
{teeny bikinis}
mara hoffman aztec bandeau bikini - $274
madewell scribble dot bandeau - $46, dorothy perkins striped bottoms - $8
{shady sunnies}
elizabeth and james lafayette sunnies - $155
hm sunnies - $6
aj morgan tortoise feline sunnies - $18
{flat sandals}
forever21 metallic woven sandals - $14.80
madewell silver lake sandal - $99

{outfit post - lace on lace}

{forever 21 lace top (similar here), free people lace bandeau, urban outfitters earrings, zara skirt, pura lopez wedges, michael kors watch}

planned on wearing this saturday for a double date, but when the sun went down it felt a bit too chilly for a lace top layered with just a lace bandeau. so i  topped it off with a white blazer and was perfectly comfortable dining alfresco over steaks and passion fruit mojitos. 

weekend round up 6.27

 {a vintage rug picked up from the randolph street market for an incredible bargain}

{another deal - heels i've had my eye on dropped down from $188 to just $49!}

{walter's new summer collar, isn't he handsome?!}

it was so incredible to be home for a change and enjoy a summer weekend in chicago. aside from tackling a massive to do list i had the chance to wander through the randolph street market, enjoy an al fresco dinner with some friends at folklore and take in some live music with the pup in tow at a nearby street fest. all in all, the perfect weekend before what looks to be a busy busy week of work. 

summer nails

{an ombre pink mani}

{essie fiji, need a vacation, chastity, funny face and raspberry}

{my mix and match nails earlier this spring - here}

{emily's glittery tipped nail}

{glamour magazine's fun take on a pedicure}

cannot remember a time with so many lovely nail trends. i tried out an ombre manicure last night and love it! i think next up is a pedicure with just one little piggy mismatched. 


have a beautiful weekend! 

{outfit post - little mermaid}

 {style by marina mint maxi dress, h&m crochet crop top, forever 21 leopard belt, vintage and h&m bracelets, gifted banana republic clutch, steve madden gold sandals, michael kors watch, essie 'something blue' nail polish}

i ordered this skirt over a month ago but it got stuck at the post office and sent all the way back to china before making its way back to me at last. and i couldn't be happier to finally have it hanging in my closet. its just the minty fresh color i hoped for and already one of my favorite things to swirl around in this summer. 

ps - see more minty fresh picks here.
pps - check out my facebook page for some more outfit photos here. 

summer pasta salad

we've been so busy the last couple weeks we haven't been to the grocery store since before memorial day! but now that we're done traveling for a bit and it's officially summer i'm excited to stock up on some fresh summer goodies this weekend and get back to cooking. 

one thing i love for the summer is pasta salad and this one is a favorite of the bf and mine. its super easy and goes with just about anything.

• 1 (16 ounce) package bow tie pasta
• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• 1 (12 ounce) package feta cheese, cubed
• 2 cups of grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 handfuls of spinach
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 
  
• 
  

1- boil water and add pasta of your choosing. i love bowtie or penne.
2- chop up onion, halve cherry tomatoes and cube feta cheese (crumbled works too but i love the bigger bites you can get from the feta block)
3- put tomatoes and onions in bowl, add two handfuls of spinach leaves and mix with olive oil and balsamic vinegar
4- drain pasta and let cool before mixing with veggies
5- top with feta cheese and enjoy! 

creative blank

feeling slightly uninspired at the moment so turning to some of my favorite places on the web to find some fresh summertime inspiration. where do you turn to?

 {fashion editorials like this bright one i read in lucky while traveling}

 {only reinforcing my need for red jeans}

 {lookbooks like this one from freepeople}

 {cropped tops and bloomers. yes please.}

 {streetstyle always gives me a fresh look on my closet}

{cropped polka dots and stripes}

{particularly enjoy the local street style perspective from tresawesome}

 {i love the fashion profiles on refinery29 that provide a sneak peek into the homes and closets of fashion's best}

{more of kate foley from opening ceremony}

 {sometimes even diving into the archives on my own blog gives me a new outlook on older pieces}

 {may not always be able to imitate red carpet style but inspiring nonetheless}

weekend round up 6.20 {new orleans}

{on the walking cocktail tour through the french quarter}

{stop 1 at the sylvian with a moscow mule - a must try}

{french quarter}

{last stop at iris with the best drink of the day - off the vine} 

 {the bachelorette herself}

 {never made it to cafe du monde so brought some coffee home with me}

{welcome home flowers from the boy}

incredibly tired after an incredibly fun weekend in new orleans. unfortunately not a lot of photos to show from the weekend, but a couple of snaps from the cocktail tour which i highly recommend if you find yourself in nola. 

{outfit post - lwd}

{zara white dress, all saints necklace, borrowed michael kors heels, gifted banana republic clutch, vintage bracelets, michael kors watch}

while in new york i picked up this little white dress at zara and promptly wore it that very night for dinner at beauty and essex and al fresco drinks at b bar. the dress managed to make it through dinner and drinks without a spot, but it couldn't escape a spill from our late night pizza run. 

luckily after a touch of tide-to-go and a trip to my dry cleaners it's back in tip top shape... just in time for this weekend's trip to new orleans!


happy friday! xoxo

summer to dos

1. plan our west coast road trip

2. visit a farmers market or two

3. go to a movie in the park

4. finish decorating out living room and bedroom 

5. try a couple new hair dos

6. host a BBQ (on last years list but never completed!)

7.  make homemade ice cream

8. have a picnic in the park

9. take more late night walks with walter

10. dine al fresco as much as possible

i've been traveling a bunch lately and this weekend is no different as i'm headed to new orleans for a bachelorette party! while i love visiting new places, all this bopping around means even less time to enjoy the already-too-short chicago summer. so in an effort to squeeze every last ounce of sunshine from the summer months, i'm following suit of other bloggers and making a list of summer to dos. and it will be infinitely more fun checking off these "to dos" then the things on my other to do lists. 

what are you looking forward to this summer?

pic sources: unknown, french frosting, walking around where the sidewalk begins, cup of joe, love maegan, inetgiant, two peas and their pod, this is glamorous, definitely golden, dust jacket attic