Warehouse Sale

A fun little Warehouse sale in the West Loop that I went to last week via a Daily Candy alert. I really can't say no to a good sale! Sofia, Luxury Garage Sale, Vosges Haut-Chocolat & a few other Chicago shopping gems had items on sale for 60-90% off! I walked away with a few items from Sofia including a pretty silk red blouse and roll-up flats. 

Mission. Accomplished.

What would I do without my daily Chicago email alerts? It's getting a little out of control but I don't recall planning my social life without them:

Daily Candy, Racked Chicago, Refinery29, Zagat, Urban Daddy, Tasting Table, Eater Chicago, Rundown on Chicago, Curbed Chicago, Gilt City

 

XOXO, IN LOVE WITH CHICAGO

Warby Parker

I've been out of town all week for work and was so happy to come home to this package! 

New spectacles! 

Warby Parker is my new favorite company. Started by a few smarty pants Wharton graduates, Warby Parker delivers a great product at a low price and even has a "buy a pair, give a pair" program. For every pair of Warby Parker glasses that are purchased, a pair is distributed to someone in need. They skip over the middlemen that typically make glasses so expensive and are able to pass on the savings to their customers. The glasses even are made from an Italian supplier and made in the Chinese factories where most other glasses are made. I do have to say that there isn't much anti-glare in the lenses, but in my 20 years of wearing glasses, I would say that's par for the course.

And $95!! Ok, I actually bought mine for $120, because I had to get special super-blind person lenses, but was able to redeem a $5 coupon that I got from Apartment Number 9, where I was able to physically try on all the styles in one of ten showrooms across the country. 

Another reason to love the Chicago shopping experience. Check out the screen shots from their website for a little more info about the company.

 XOXO, IN LOVE WITH CHICAGO

Antique-ing Part 1: Lincoln Antique Mall

I 'm a sucker for a good deal.

  

And the greater Chicago area is home to many of the best and largest antique markets; so I continue to luck out in my quests for unique things to do in the city. My mother heard of this fact and when she was in town made it a priority for me to take her to each of the top places in the city. So we started at the Lincoln Antique Mall. 

The Lincoln Antique Mall is nestled into a pretty random neighborhood in Irving Park, pretty standard Chicago practice, and also is Chicago native, Nate Berkus', fave antique spot in the city. Chicago Home Magazine and Architectural Digest have also given their stamps of approval. I'll take that. They house their goodies in a 7000 square foot store, so if you're into this kind of thing, I would be shocked if you left empty handed. And they proclaim their prices are the best in the city, so what more can you really ask for?

If you're not in the neighborhood or looking for something specific, check out their website, which actually has a huge variety of items listed for sale. French-style furniture, yes! WWII Gas mask, why not? 

XOXO, IN LOVE WITH CHICAGO

NYC: Shop

Last, but certainly not least, I'll end this NYC installment with a shopping segment. As with anything else in NYC, you could spend days, months and years perusing the streets and you wouldn't hit all the best things to see, shop, do and eat. This time around I enjoyed a little Kelly Wearstler in the attic of Bergdorfs, Uniqlo basics shopping...which is rumored to be coming to Chicago, Brooklyn flea market...where I signed a consent form for a reality tv show on flea markets, while being filmed in one of the booths. Funny thing is that I saw the show on HGTV or Travel Chanel not too long ago and prayed to the heavens that my slightly hung over face would NOT show up. I digress. Fishs and Eddy is one of the stores that I try and visit each time that I'm in NYC. Think of the home section of Anthropologie as one huge store. So obviously the photos of the spoon chandelier below are from my recent trip.

Hope you enjoyed reading about my recent trip to NYC...I'm sure the next is right around the corner!

Italy Instagram

Sneak peak/result of post vaca laziness Italy Instagram photos. Had so much fun seeing the sights-the Colosseum, Vatican, Via Condotti...And spending quality time with good people-the wedding in Capri was absolutely the highlight! 

More detailed accounts to come....

Gift Store Roundup

So I've expressed my love for gift giving on several occasions, but now that I consider myself a full blown Chicago-an I have discovered a few go-to local shops that carry the most unique gifts for any occasion. 

The Interior Designer is a difficult friend to shop for given their impeccable style, and disdain for chain stores, but Jayson Home & Garden, in Lincoln Park, will satisfy even the hardest to shop for. I scoured the store for something that wouldn't shatter in the mail and I decided on a Tatine Candle and a few fun matchbooks. I could spend hours on end in this Unique Furniture & Home Decor store, but the goods are definitely not friendly on the good ol' pocketbook. I highly recommend a quick browsing on the website for the sale that is going on right now though!

The frequent traveler is also another friend that is difficult to shop for as you have to ask yourself, what do you buy the friend that has and almost seen everything? I went to the paper store Paper Doll in Wicker Park looking for hand made cards and I stocked up on a few, but also picked up a unique little luggage tag for my friends' travels. And I know JCrew isn't a local store, but how cute is this little traveler's jewelry organizer?

Smitten Boutique has been my go-to for hand made cards since I moved to the city, as when we first moved here we lived in the West Loop neighborhood. This wedding boutique is the girly girls' dream and sells wedding, baby and custom paper products. I found the hand made cards that I wanted to buy for a few upcoming events and left with a few other goodies as I always do! 

Via

Beauty Roundup

I pretty much consider myself a girly girl when it comes to nearly everything except for my beauty routine. I use generic shampoo from Whole Foods and the same face wash my mom uses out of laziness of researching something that might be better. So I figured that it was time to grow up a little bit and get some big girl beauty routines integrated into my life. Here's some recent big girl hair, beauty and body updates. 

HAIR: I've been going to the Aveda teaching salon on Clark, where students are only allowed to charge $16 for a hair cut. It's just been so hard for me to justify anything more expensive with trying to awkwardly get out of the short hair stage. Luckily, I seriously bumped myself up in my hair world by visiting Adam, at Fringe Salon in Wicker Park. And I will continue to visit. 

And a few more looks for your viewing pleasure. 

 

 

Pin curls set for the "Hollywood Glam" look that I was going for

Side sock bun that my friend and I finagled

 MAKE-UP: A friend and I went to Saks on Michigan Ave to do a test make-up run for the wedding that we were planning on attending. Luckily, one of Nars' national make-up artists was in town for an event so we got some extra special face treatment. And also a bill that was way more than I anticipated to spend! I'm also a little behind on the bright lip bandwagon, but better late than never, right? The Chanel Ultra wear series is the most amazing lipstick/gloss that I've ever owned. I literally apply it once in a night and swear I need rubbing alcohol to get it off when I get home.

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Wild Orchid, NARS Schiap , Chanel Ruby Lite Ultra Wear

 BODY: Last, but definitely not least. The longest three days of my life occurred during a recent juice cleanse that I decided to put myself through. It was the hungriest that I have ever been, but after you get through the agony of the initial shock, it's not too bad. The first two days integrate fruit, so the juice actually tastes pretty yummy, the last, not so much. I spoke with a few ladies who lost a few el-bees, but me? Not so much. I'd probably do it again though.

Juicer's Three Day Cleanse
*Three days of juices, eight ounces every hour for eight hours, lots of water in between & protein with veggies after 6pm

Day 1: Fresh 7 Liver & Kidney Detox
Blend 6 apples, 6 beets, 7 large carrots, 7 pieces celery, 4 cucumber & 3 juiced lemons
Day 2: Blend 6 apples, 7 celery, 4 whole cucumbers, 3 handful of ginger, 3 handful of parsley & 3 handfuls of spinach
Day 3: Blend 6 beets, 7 large carrots, 7 pieces of celery, 4 whole cucumber, 3 handfuls of ginger, 3 juiced lemons, 4 handfuls of lettuce, 3 handfuls of parsley & 4 handful of kale