{summer into fall}

What I'm Wearing:
Dress from Old Navy,
cardigan from Target,
scarf gift from World Market,
boots by Steve Madden,
& watch my Michael Kors

Busy city life really gets the best of you! With full weekends, grad school homework, midterms, and more I have been swamped over the past few weeks. But last weekend I had a chance to escape to the suburbs for a few hours. John & I traveled out to his parents' house about an hour outside the city. The afternoon consisted of running a few errands, a nap on the couch, a yummy homemade dinner, and a game of cribbage. Man, was it great!

For my relaxed afternoon with my boyfriend's family, I still wanted to look cute while being comfortable.  After some debate and fighting the desire to wear fall clothes despite the warm weather I decided on my linen dress from Old Navy. I still wanted to pull in some fall elements, so I wore this amazing scarf and my  Steve Madden booties. I love the mixture of tones in this infinity scarf. It reminds me of a colorful pile of autumn leaves!

Take away advice: If you're wanting to blended your style from summer into fall, try wearing a sundress with a autumn tone scarf or a cute floral skirt with a pair of fall booties.

{changing colors}

What I'm wearing:
Long sleeve shirt from Threads 4 Thought,
skirt by Amanda Uprichard,
boots by Boemos,
brown gem necklace from Gem,
blue gem necklace from Francesca's Closet,
watch by Michael Kors

As the seasons transition into fall, I find myself slowly falling in love with Chicago. At first it was a tough transition... the busy school schedule, a new apartment, living away from my beloved mountains, making new friends... But now, as the leaves begin to change, I realize that my perspective on my new life here needs to change as well. I need to shift my thoughts away from missing Colorado and over to trusting that the Lord has a good and perfect plan for me here.

 I've known in my mind for a while that moving to Chicago was the best decision for me (with going to grad school, spending time with family, and being near John), but I didn't feel it fully in my heart. I'm still adapting to life here in Chicago, but like the leaves, I can see my heart beginning to change into a warm new color.

{orange-ya glad you wore these sandals}

Who knew that orange and chestnut leather sandals would be such a big hit! I got tons of compliments on these babies today. I decided they need a feature on my blog!

Grabbing a cup of joe with John

What I'm Wearing:
Blouse by Vince, skirt from Target,
belt from Anthropologie,
necklace by Marigold Mary
sunglasses from Walmart (yes, Walmart ;),
& sandals by Dolce Vita from Anthropologie

{tourist for the week}

 For the last few days, I have gladly taken on the role of Chicago tourist. My family from St. Louis came to visit and we hit all of the classic sites. We ate well and adventured around the city more than I have in a long time. What better way is there to spend your first week living in the city than by acting like a tourist? We ate at Giordano's, Portillo's and the Italian Village; we saw a Sox game, strolled through Millennium Park, traveled to The Ledge of the Sears Tower & marveled at the Cirque Shanghai Warriors on Navy Pier all in TWO days! Since our events continued into the night, I decided to wear jeans paired with a basic black t, a fun necklace, and a mustard yellow cardigan in case it got colder during the show. As for walking around, my feet held up wonderfully in my Lotta from Stockholm clogs. They are extremely comfortable and give me an inch or two of height (which is helpful when I'm spending time with my tall younger cousins).

The bean with family

What I'm Wearing:
Blouse from H&M,
jeans from American Eagle,
necklace from Francesca's Closet,
clogs by Lottas from Stockholm 

At the Sox game

On top of the Sears Tower

Out on The Ledge of the Sears Tower (and a little freaked out 103 stories up!)

My heart was racing & my hands were over my mouth during this entire
act in the Cirque Shanghai Warriors show at Navy Pier

{Coral in the Country}

{The Etheridge Wedding}

On Saturday, we celebrated the marriage of Andy & Lindsey
at Walnut Grove Farm in central Illinois. The ceremony was
perfectly planned and their vows melted my heart. We danced into the night
and laughed so much! I am so very excited for Andy & Lindsey's future together.
Those two know how to have a good time and how to love those around them!

The gorgeous reception

We had to pose by this adorable sign!

What I'm wearing:
Dress by from Nordstroms,
wedges by Franco Sarto from Marshalls,
watch by Michael Kors,
earring from Francesca's Closet

Handsome groomsmen

Their barn wedding was complete with yard games, 

cocktails, BBQ, and dancing

In the barn for cocktail hour

{stars, stripes, & flower crowns}

Every year for the fourth of July (also my birthday), I commit to wearing a complete

Patriotic ensemble.  This year my older sister, Allison, made it easy on me when she

gave me this amazing flower crown made by one of her friends, the owner and creator of The Heartshaped Hotel. But friends, my crown isn't any ordinary flower crown...

it is a special made birthday crown adorned with sparkly stars, huge roses, 

and mini red, white, and blue bows. I wanted to thank The Heartshaped Hotel

for custom making it for me!

In addition to my fabulous flower crown present, I kept the Independence day theme 

flowing with a pair of bright red jeans and my favorite Anthropologie blouse!

What better style inspiration than the stars and stripes of our American flag!

What I'm Wearing:
Blouse by Meadow Rue from Anthropologie,
red jeans by BDG from Urban Outfitters,
& head dress made by The Heartshaped Hotel 

Wearing my down at the beach with my flag swimsuit

Yes, even my nails were patriotic...

{beach break}

Summer break was created so Chicagoans could flock to the beaches of

Lake Michigan. Whether it be North Ave Beach in the heart of the city

or the charming lake front towns of South Haven and Saint Joseph.

Over the 4th of July weekend, my family headed over to Michigan 

for a weekend full of camping, horseshoes, paddle boarding, fireworks, and family. 

We had a number of things to celebrate that weekend...the engagement of my 

 oldest sister, Allison, and her wonderful boyfriend, Paul, my 24th birthday, and

 the independence of our beloved country (obviously).

Here is a post pre-fourth. I love hanging out down at the beach

and relaxing. With this relaxing comes cute and comfy clothes

and limited pictures (due to the lounging). I did manage to convince my

sister to snap a couple of pictures of me before hours of

soaking in the sun began. I'll post my "proud to be an american,

dolled up for the fourth" outfit soon!

What I'm lounging in:
Fedora from Target,
gray zip-up from Target,
"Cómo se llama" shirt from Hens & Chicas (etsy),
& short from Forever 21