What I Wore: The 70s Summer Edition

Summer is here! Minus all the rain, it's been a pretty perfect start to summer. With music festivals, movies in the park, pool parties, and long days at the beach all around the corner, it's time to start finalizing that summer style. My style? 70s gypsy/biker. Does it suit me? Nope, I don't think so. Do I care? No! I'm going to make it work because I want to and that's that.

What I Wore: The Starting Over Edition

If you've been following along with the blog lately, you'll know that I've been in the throws of a big move to a new apartment (and, by consequence, missing from the blog for the last month). It's been a very weird transition for me because I went from living in a trendy, busy neighborhood to a really residential part of Chicago. It's definitely been a change of pace - almost like starting over with a whole new life. Even though I still live in the same city, Chicago is big enough that moving across town feel like a whole different world.

What does that mean for my personal style? I definitely feel the pressure to be more laid-back an conservative around all these families, but, at the same time, I still love my crazy prints and crop tops. How can I stay true to my personal fashion without scaring my neighbors? Maybe it's not possible.

Monday Design: Outdoor Dining Decor

It's summer! Well, mostly. I wish it was a little warmer most of the time, but it's still sunny and warm enough to hang out on my brand new back deck. With a brand new deck come brand new fantasies of decorating an outdoor party space! Even though I am a terrible host and mostly just like hanging out alone, doesn't mean I can't dream of a perfect outdoor hang out that people would love to chill in - if I would ever invite people over.

Anyway, in preparation for summer fun, I've pulled some inspiration for outdoor decor.

Interior Design: Watercolor Walls

Phew, let me tell you something about moving. It is the worst. Moving sucks. Dragging moving out over the course of two weeks, sucks even more. BUT, I'm finally here. I've done it. I've moved! There are still a million boxes to unpack and a ton of things to do before this new place feels like home, but it's getting there. One long, busy day at a time. Anyway, getting settled also means getting back to blogging! (My favorite, obviously.) 

With all of the planning I was trying to do for the new place, I found a bunch of interior design inspiration and a few things that I had never seen before, like watercolor walls! Yep, can you believe it? My first thought was "How do I do this? What kind of paint do I need?" and then I quickly realized that this technique was a little something called wallpaper. Which, whatever, I probably would have royally screwed up a wall trying to watercolor paint it. The wallpaper is probably the smarter choice. Either way, these walls are awesome, inspiring, and add color and movement to a room like you've never seen.

Interior Design: Mint Green Kitchens

Newest update in my new apartment adventures: I now have mint green walls in my kitchen! Two walls to be exact. We left the rest of the kitchen white. In a fit of paint whimsy, I bought a whole gallon of mint green paint because I was really excited about the color, without having a plan for it. (I'm the worst) So it went in the kitchen. While I was extremely excited about it during the painting process, I started second guessing myself afterwards (naturally) and hating it inwardly for being too bright (naturally). So what does anyone do when worried about their design choices? Turn to Pinterest, naturally! I immediately turned to Pinterest to confirm that my design choice was, in fact, not insane and that we could absolutely pull off a mint green kitchen with dark wood accents and black floors (Pictures to come soon, I promise. It was already dark when we had finished painting.) - and Pinterest did alleviate all my design woes.

New Meets Old: Vintage and Modern Interiors

I'm always very impressed when someone is able to decorate their home with thrift store charm and new pieces without making it feel cluttered or tacky. I have the unfortunate habit of liking too many things and wanting them all, so instead of a very well curated space, I have a hoarders haven. Now that I'm moving into a new space, I'm trying to be really particular about what I'm buying and keeping so that my space has a cohesive feel. I found this space the other day that masters in secondhand decorating and I definitely need to take a few lessons from this estate sale maven. 

What I Wore: The Pencil Skirt Edition

There are certain things you always need in your closet. One is a dress perfect for your body type that makes you feel great. Another is a pair of jeans that works for errands or going out. And the last thing is a an office appropriate pencil skirt. I don't care what you think about your body type, a pencil skirt makes anyone look hot and classy - that's a dangerous combo. I think my collection of pencil skirts will forever be growing and changing because whether you wear it with a cardigan and heels to work or a t-shirt and boots out to a concert, it always works. Always.

I have a collection of a pencil skirts for every season, but finding a good sweater skirt can sometimes be a hassle. They point of a pencil skirt is that they are slimming and sweater ones can sometimes look bulky. However, this vintage skirt is just the right mix of sensible and adorable.

Interior Design: Gallery Walls

I'm moving into a new place June 1st and I couldn't be more excited to have the ability to plan and decorate this time around. When I moved into this apartment, my first apartment, everything was kind of rushed and I didn't take time to really plan out the space. It's come together in the three years that I've lived here, but now not only will I have time, I'll also have space! I'll get to have space and lots of white walls to decorate. So I've been imagining a gallery wall above my TV for a long time and just haven't gotten excited about anything. Now that I'll have the space to fill, my love of gallery walls has been renewed!

Interior Photography: Lucas Allen

As you can probably infer from this blog, I am a lover of interior design and spend much of my free time admiring beautifully designed spaces on sites like ELLE Decor and Country Living (yes, Country Living. Don't knock it 'til you try it). Of course, a huge part of the reason that these spaces are so drool worthy is the photography (Don't act like you've never salivated over a living room before. Oh, no? Just me?). Having a gorgeously designed space is obviously key, but it's really the eye of the photographer that can take something from being pretty to phenomenal. That's why I also browse the work of photographers that do interior photography too. You'll be amazed at the spaces you can find in some of these collections.

Interior Design: Mountain Views

Every day I feel more and more like this born and raised city girl needs to simplify. Cut back and slow down, you know? Which is something my 15 year-old self would be shocked to hear. I never thought I'd want to move out of this city - with all of its art, architecture, culture, and events. As an adult though, all of that also comes with high rent prices, fast-paced jobs, and over-working yourself for little pay. I guess I've just gotten to the point where I'd like to slow down and smell the roses, before my sense of smell is gone.

That's why, lately, I've been more and more attracted to these gorgeous country cabins set somewhere far away and remote. Usually, this is somewhere in Wyoming (because I'm currently obsessed with Wyoming), but this rustic Idaho cabin, set almost at the base of a beautiful mountain range, definitely stole my heart.

Interior Design: A Wonderland Loft in Los Angeles

Talk about eclectic and colorful. This loft in Los Angeles definitely collects it's charm from the well-curated, hodge podge of pictures, statuettes, patterns, and colors that adorn its interiors. The combination of blues and greens with the abundance of objects inspired by nature make it feel like you're exploring some kind mystical, rabbit-hole forest where anything can happen.

What I Wore: The Simple Things Edition

I am going to preface this post by saying that I am not an American Apparel girl. Generally, I think they are totally over-priced for basics. That being said, I spent way too much money at American Apparel the other day. Even though I know I can get most of the same stuff for way cheaper, they still suck me in some times. This was one of those times. I'm not a big "pants" person. If you follow my blog, you'll see that I mostly wear dresses and tights or leggings. This isn't because I think they look better on the blog, it's because I hate pants! They're constricting. What's the point when I can be in tights all day? However, I do have an unfortunate affinity for mom jeans. I think it's my irrational fear of the muffin top. Anyway, they don't make a lot of mom jeans that make me feel like I'm working it. The American Apparel Easy Jean is one of those.

What I Wore: The Thrifted Sweaters Edition

I know I talk about this every week, but I am so tired of winter. More sickened by it than I have ever been. There was a glimmer of hope with some 40 degree days and then it snowed and the temp dropped again. I'm moving. Enough of this.

Anyway, due to the never ending Siberian weather, I thought I'd talk about my sweater collection. It's gotten a little out of hand. I could probably wear a different sweater every day for a month - unless we're counting cardigans, then make that three. How did I amass such an insane collection, you ask? Easy. Thrifting. One thing I've become great at finding in a sea of ugly 80s sweaters is the 1-2 good ones. 

I buy them too, of course, but when your wardrobe consists of fleece leggings, a skirt, a sweater, and Doc Martins for 5 months out of the year, it can become expensive. So I thrift!

Rustic, Country-Chic Cottage

My love of rustic, country style is not a secret. I am not ashamed - not anymore anyway. I blame my mother and her love of the outdoors paired with her love of Country Living magazine for my love of Country Living magazine. I remember growing up and thumbing through it's pages in the small cabin home we have in Wisconsin that my mom decorated with the most well-edited collection of thrift store finds. Now I find myself flipping through slideshows of perfectly placed milk jugs and reclaimed wood walls on their website. Damn you Country Living, you make living in the country see so much more glamorous to a city girl.

Anyway, enough reminiscing. I stumbled across this cottage revival on the website and had to share because it caught my eye with all the things I love - reclaimed wood, teal, vintage charm.