#42 A Tourist's Experience: Chicago

Over Spring Break last year, my boyfriend and I got to take a really fun vacation-- we spent half the time in Hocking Hills, Ohio in a little cabin (future entry) and the other half in Chicago (this entry)! My boyfriend currently lives in Germany, and feeling a little blue, I decided to perk up my spirits by reliving some of my favorite moments together during this trip, as April was the last time I saw him. I can't believe it's already been over 4 months now. I know I *just* posted about being in Chicago, but I realized I hadn't posted any pictures from our trip, and wanted to post some for you now!

Cherry trees in the park

Buckingham Fountain. Strangely empty on this cloudy day.

Casual outfit for the day, paired with my favorite tan platform sneakers from ALDO.

Ugliest sweater ever. I love it!

Beautiful bib necklace by ALDO. Dig the straight lines of the cut outs paired with the curve of the bib.

My satchel in my favorite color.

Incredible fields of tulips near S Lakeshore Drive.

Cloudy horizon on the waterfront.

No photoshop here! The water of Lake Michigan was actually this beautiful turquoise. Crazy!

It had to be done-- the bean!

We got a good deal on the Hilton on Michigan Avenue. The interior was really breathtaking-- very ornate and vintage looking.

We also went to the top of the Sears Tower. I refuse to call it Willis Tower-- lame! Look at that water!

We had to go to in the Skydeck boxes, of course.

Even though your rational brain knows it's quite safe, the experience is still somewhat terrifying! But so cool to look down and see the street below you.

Beautiful sunny skyline on our way to the Shedd Aquarium, which while expensive, is a must for any animal/ocean lover like me and was the highlight of my trip.

Beautiful blue poison dart frogs! One of my favorite animals. It took me forever to get this shot because there were so many frogs and they were hopping around so much!

Pretty insane looking spider crab.

Color-blocked shrimp :)

We paid extra for the jellyfish exhibit-- aren't they gorgeous?

Look at these cuties! Yet another of my favorite animals.

SWEATER Aztec Shawl Sweater, Forever 21+ | SHIRT White V-neck Tee, Forever 21+ | JEANS Dark skinnies, Eloquii | SHOES Tan Wedge Sneakers, ALDO | BAG Green Satchel, H&M | NECKLACE Geometric Black & Gold Bib Necklace, ALDO

Overall, although I had a blast, I was a bit unsatisfied with what I saw of Chicago. I feel like we did a lot of touristy things and the areas we visited seemed deserted. I wished we could have had more of a locals experience and see where hip Chicagoans hang out. We stayed pretty much in the touristy areas and the city seemed so large and spread out, it was difficult to decide where to go and explore in such a short time period. But I know next time, I'll do a lot more research. And for sure, go to the Field Museum. One of my favorite bloggers, Chaplin from Mini Penny (who also happens to be from my town in Ohio), LOVES Chicago and always has amazing posts about her experiences in Chicago, events she is invited to, amazing outfit photos, and lots of ideas about where to explore in the city. If you ever go there, I highly suggest you check out her blog!

#39 - Amazing Coupon Codes for Fall!

I promise an outfit post is coming soon, but I couldn't let the weekend go without reminding you about an amazing deal from Eloquii you can get tonight. All new styles are 40% off (no code needed). There is also a code you can use when you check out (the code is "991") to get an ADDITIONAL 20% off. That's a total of 60% off Eloquii's new styles PLUS free shipping! But it all ends at midnight, so get your order in now! Here's a peak from my shopping cart below. I can't believe I just bought an amazing sheath dress originally priced for $109 for only $43.60! BOOYAH. As you can see, I'm pretty excited :)

Other codes you might want to use tonight:

Forever 21 - Code is "TZ6TQN" for 10% off and free shipping.

ASOS - Code is "New 20" for 20% off and free shipping.

Old Navy - Code is "ONSCHOOL" for 20% off and free shipping.

Happy shopping, ladies! And remember-- scouring the web for coupons means you never, EVER have to pay full retail :)

#23 Spring in January

Yesterday was an insanely beautiful day... finally, some sunshine in the midwest! It didn't feel like January, more like a blustery fall day. I picked an outfit with a splash of bright neon blue to match the gorgeous sky. My best friend and I hit the mall and walked around outside for the entire day. Sorry about all the squinting! It was so bright outside!

JACKET Brown Leather Jacket, F21 | TOP Color Blocked Silk Blouse, Ann Taylor Loft | JEANS Skinny Jeans, Old Navy | SHOES Tan Buckle Boots, F21 | NECKLACE Rhinestone Compass Necklace, Target | EARRINGS 1/2" Turquoise Spirals, Body Art Forms | SUNGLASSES Gold Prescription Aviators, Ray Ban

I'm not a big "brown" person. Most of the more neutral colors in my wardrobe are black and white. Recently, I've really been getting into shades of brown, taupe, and cognac. They are so beautiful. I really think pairing brown with bright neon blue or cobalt is a really unusual but gorgeous color combination and it's something I'm definitely going to continue on in the future.

I'm a huge fan of bright pastels for spring. The top I'm wearing is from Ann Taylor, which I normally associate with more mature work-wear. However, they have a ton of cute stuff for spring, including pastel colored skinny jeans and gorgeous, bright silk tops. It may be winter time, but that doesn't mean we can't be colorful.

Some of my favorite pastels and brights for spring include:

There are so many to choose from! I just purchased the leopard wedges at H&M on our mall trip. They are so comfortable and inexpensive! I also bought the black and white wrist cuff from F21 and the wedges in black from ALDO (not pictured). My favorite items here include the pastel bunting necklace from ASOS, all of the floral print, the gorgeous lilac wedges from ALDO (sold out in my size... *SOB*), the Dior Garden Party collection nail lacquers, and the pastel Jeffrey Campbell studded loafers, which come in a variety of pastel colors. The ALDO Calcagni wedges are fabulous and come in a ton of Spring colors. Just beware-- they are about 1.5-2 sizes smaller than you would normally buy (I bought an 11 and I'm a 9).

I love pastels and brights! I'm looking forward to absorbing as much color as possible into my wardrobe this year. What are your favorite pastel and bright colors that you're looking forward to wearing this Spring?

#22 Purple

One of my new years resolutions is to post more outfit pictures... so here we are, 16 days into January, and I'm starting to blog again. The two things that really keep me from blogging are #1: finding outfits that are appropriate to post (because I am a teacher, my work outfits are often quite basic) and #2: finding a good location with lots of light and a photographer to take photos! My apartment has terrible light for photography (but it's still a great place!) and I work from 7am-5pm, which means lately I rarely get to see daylight, let alone take photos! :) I'm working on it though, and I missed this blog so much while I was on hiatus! Back to the fashion...

In terms of colors, my wardrobe tends to be on the more masculine side. Lots of black, grays, greens, and blues. I don't have a lot of pink or purple clothing, but lately I've really started to love purple. I especially think lavender/gray-purple shades are very flattering on my skin tone and go perfectly with my red hair and green eyes.

JACKET Black boyfriend blazer w/ striped lining, F21 | TOP Ruffled Lavender Tunic, Ann Taylor Loft | JEANS Black Skinny Jeans, Old Navy | SHOES Black Buckle Boots, ALDO | NECKLACE Rhinestone leaf, F21 | RING Black Stone Ring H&M | BRACELET Crystal & Bed Wrap Bracelet, Juicy Couture

I love the surprising combinations of lavender, red (hair), and green (glasses) in this post! The Juicy Couture bracelet (which my wonderful boyfriend got for my birthday in December) also adds a pop of great color and is a huge conversation piece-- I always get questions and compliments whenever I wear it.

While I'm thinking about accessories, have any of you heard of Warby Parker? They have some really unique and vintage-looking eyewear for only $95, including prescriptions online. I recently found out they have a display in Milk Bar in Columbus so I'm going to check that out this week and possibly get a new pair or two to add to my repertoire. I could use some different frames to switch it up-- I love my greens but I could definitely use a change of pace. What's that? You want to know my favorites from the Warby Parker collection? Done and done.

Roosevelt, Bondi Blue

Huxley, Tennessee Whisky

Crosby, Burgundy Fade

Beckett, Striped Evergreen

I'll keep you posted on how my Warby Parker excursion goes... I'll certainly need your suggestions on which glasses to get! :) Thanks for reading, and hello to my new followers! Even after months of hiatus, I'm up to 70 followers. WOW. Thank you so much for all of your support! Happy blogging, and happy belated new years everyone!

#21 Eyebrows

I'd rarely thought about the shape of my eyebrows recently until the incredible Nicolette Mason graciously commented on them on my last post. I realized how thick and full they are, and I'm not sure how I feel about that. I'd always admired thin, shapely eyebrows with a high arch and wished that mine could look like that-- elegant and sleek. I've always considered mine to be "hairy caterpillars" growing on my face and the fact that they completely lack an arch doesn't help. Plucking them thin always looked ridiculous and I dislike the way eyebrow pencils make them look so dark. It's a love-hate relationship, and truthfully, I have no idea what to do with them. I remember when I was in 8th grade and I over-plucked them, looking super classy with eyebrows that began at my pupils, separated by 4 long inches of glorious hairlessness. If anyone has any ideas about how to shape them, please let me know. Otherwise, I'll just keep with my caterpillars. I'm learning to love them.

GLASSES Menswear Tortoiseshell, Rayban | PLUGS Cubic Zirconia 7/16", Body Art Forms | NECKLACE Gold, Rose Gold, and Silver Studs, Noir Jewelry | RING Black Oval Stone, H&M | TOP Lace Back Drape Shirt, H&M | SKIRT Textured Pull-on Skirt, H&M | TIGHTS Sweater Knit Tights, H&M | JACKET Faux Leather Jacket, Forever 21 | FLATS Glitter Ballet Flats, J Crew

I love this lipstick, by the way. I think it makes the whole outfit. I love the combination of neutral and neons, neon pink in this case. The color is "Schiap" by Nars purchased at Sephora. If you like this tint but want something a little more subdued, I suggest "Roman Holiday" by Nars, as well. It's perfect for day time wear! My nail color is "Carnival" by Essie and I recently purchased "Mint Candy Apple" by Essie as well. Those are my Fall beauty obsessions! If anyone has any eyebrow product suggestions or tips, please feel free to advise. :)