Second Chance

Today's a new day- time to get back on the horse and get down to business-the business of being relaxed and taking things as they come!

Summer is here and it's time to be cheery! I'm super excited for the Spring Potluck I am hosting tonight for some girls... It's a much need break in the middle of the week!










I will try to remember to take some pictures to share!

Happy Hump Day!

Get Up!

I'm afraid to put this out into the universe for fear it will all come crashing down on me, but here it goes: it might be Spring weather finally. For me this means it's time to buy new sandals, break out my array of spring coats, and buy a bistro table for the balcony so I can eat outside every chance I get. OH- and lets not forget its time to discover new cheery music to blast while walking to work or while lounging on Lake Michigan on the weekends!

Enter Jonquil's "Get Up":




Now lets hope I didn't just jinx it...

Looking to May

With all the gray surrounding Chicago's April I'm currently craving the dainty combination of gray and pink. Spring just happens to put me in a silky, pearly, champagney mood- what about you?

via This Is Glamorous

Way Out West

Why gray, why?!? Wish I was playing on the beach out west...

via fashionlover

I strongly suggest playing "Survival" by Way Out West and going through the images one more time- they seem to be a match made in heaven- don't you agree?:

Liquid Love

Bikini season is lurking around the corner, and while I may not be in tip top shape yet, I can't help but peruse cruise and swim wear looking for the perfect gym inspiration. Nothing gets me ready for the gym mentally like seeing a piece of clothing I want to adorn myself with! Zimmerman's 2011 Cruisewear was just the inspiration I needed for today's gym motivation:

via pedestrian.tv

I love the the patterns and how the pieces are glamorous while still being totally functional. I can honestly say I would wear every piece!

What about you- what is your favorite Zimmerman piece?

And while on the subject of pools and beaches, I found this song "Liquid Love" by Shy Child that made me think of lazy days laying out... something about the intro reminds me of sparkling water and the bells that come in later are vaguely reminiscent of calypso drums to me... or maybe I'm daydreaming too hard? What do you think?

Dakote Lace-Up Booties

Two words: YES PLEASE!

via refinery29

Alexander Wang sure knows how to make a shoe! Check out the other colors:

Things Are Looking Up

Well I am in a pretty positive state of mind and I'm going to go ahead and give the sun credit for at least 50% of it! It might not be warm, but I'll take what I can get! With spring just around the corner I can't help but think things are going to start looking up from here on out! Not to mention Chicago is celebrating St. Patty's Day this Saturday- that's always something to look forward to!

"Hope will only get you so far. Have a plan and know where your friends are...
You can find what it is you seek. Take it day by day, take it week by week.
Just push on cause when things get rough, no head down, things are looking up!"

via holidayinhere and zeitgeist

Hold on for a few more days my friends, the warm weather will come and brighten up the skies and our lives, I promise! :)

Hang On!

So if you're anything like me, and the rest of the country, you recognize that spring is coming. This could only mean one thing: it's time to get to work getting rid of the 20 pounds you gained during the winter months (or was that just me?).

I've been hitting the gym and I find that awesome music and cute work out gear makes the whole experience way more enjoyable. Lets be real- we know I'm not excited about all the food I have or have not eaten prior to working out. I'm either cranky from the lack of cheese in my diet these days or appalled by my food choices (Read: the italian beef I had at lunch).

Moving on- this is a little diddy I have been playing towards the end of my work outs. Suuuure it's kind of literal- it's called "Hang On", but it totally pumps me up to really push those last minutes of the workout prior to cool down.

Oh- and lets make one more thing very clear- the girl in the video has an amazing body so that definitely provides some last minute inspiration. That and her crazy pole dancing moves at the end- how is she so athletic!?!




And now for a little workout gear action to inspire gym apparel... or concert apparel. Just depends on how you look at it:

via theones2watch

Are you pumped up to go to the gym now? I sure am! But it could be for the deep tissue massage I'm craving...

Change is in the Air!

This wonderful sunniness that is upon Chicago right now has me in a happy-go-lucky mood! I can't wait for the weather to get just a smidgen warmer so we can all break out the sandals, light sweaters, and most importantly- the outdoor patio seating! Of course, even when posting up at an outdoor spot with friends we're going to want to look our best. I find Matthew Williamson's take on Pre-Spring 2011 perfect for such occasions:

via tooklookbook

I think this collection is so perfectly comfortably stylish. I'll be honest- I didn't think I would like orange pants as much as I do after seeing them styled this way. I'm more often than not a skirt/dress wearing type of girl and I'm kind of obsessing over the pants in this collection. Do you love the pants ensembles here as much as I do?


Spring truly is on its way and I cannot wait to hang out around this city! Do you feel the change in the air?

Mainstream Madness

I think I've been in the River North bubble for a tad too long. I'm starting to lose my mind and need a solid dose of the underground- if you initially thought I meant the club then you too have been spending too much time in River North and should get out as well!

I am going to stage a personal intervention- I will not be doing a Derek Lam or DVF posting today (although their clothes were gorgeous in NYFW). Instead I'm going to share a lesser known designer with some playful quirkiness and a song from off the beaten path...although perhaps mainstream in the UK.

Enjoy!

via tooklookbook

I adore these pieces by Tsumori Chisato for his RTW Spring-Summer 2011 collection- so playful and eye catching! I think some of these pieces could easily translate to my spring/summer wardrobe. What do you think?

And now a song to leave you with- please note that there are real instruments used in this electronic-esque collaboration- amazing!