Another Day, Another Do

So I got my hair did over the weekend. I'm one of those people that A) loves my hairdresser and B) is open to doing whatever with my hair because at the end of the day, it'll just grow back. So my hairdresser, Ashley, had a hay day when I told her she could do whatever she wanted with my hair. For the most part, I usually have a little bit of an idea (or at least idea of length), but this time I let her run free. And yet again, she hasn't let me down. She truly is a "shear genius".

Well early Merry Christmas to all. I'm one of the very few who are in the office this week which means....jeans, a trip to the movies, last minute Christmas shopping and more importantly - a lot of organization to ring in the new year so fresh and so clean! Now I know what you may be thinking - this cape styled sweater may be way too big and may be a glorified snuggy, but gosh darn I love it, the color is amazing and it's super cozy.


It's extremely versatile and looks great with a belt. What I actually like about this drapey sweater is that it has it's own style, but really is comfy. I contemplated getting a size small versus a medium, knowing that it's oversized, but in all honesty was too lazy to ship it back. I personally think it works great with leggings.


On another note, I'm also debuting my new boots that I purchased at Urban Outfitters during the day after Thanksgiving sale. Originally $150, I was able to get the sales lady to mark them down to $90 and as luck would have it they were offering an additional 50% sale merchandise. So these cute puppies, that actually fit my fat calves, only ended up being $50. Not too shabby.

Sweater: Press, Jeans: Seven for all Mankind, Boots: DV for Urban Outfitters, Tank top: Old Navy

Well I hope everyone has a great Christmas week. Here's hoping that everyone gets a toy from Santa, and not coal!

Best Week Ever of 2009!

I will say it, I am one lucky SOB. No really I am. This has been one heck of a first week back at work and in fact it's been the BEST week of 2009. I'm definitely ending the year with a bang!

First came Monday...I stepped out to get coffee with a co-worker Monday morning and came back to an office decorated in Hello Kitty lights. One of my co-workers knows that I absolutely love Hello Kitty and saw these lights, so she and the rest of my co-workers decorated my office with them. It truly made my day.

Then Tuesday, my co-workers and I entertained some clients by taking them to tea at the Penninsula. It sounds a little frou frou, but honestly it was such a great experience and something that I would love to do again possibly at the Drake Hotel or Four Seasons - it was really a great time.

Since Christmas is coming up and it's the last week before people leave for vacay, my boss decided that no gift giving was needed and instead we treated ourselves to a nice 75 minute massage at my favorite spa Bliss on Wednesday. We ditched out on work early and spent the day relaxing, un-winding and rewarding ourselves for a great year!

Then, there was last night....one of the BEST nights ever. My friend invited Matt and I to a Bulls game because no one was using the company's season tickets. I knew that they had great seats, but really I didn't know how good they were until we got to United Center arena and was escorted to the courtside seats behind the announcers. It took me awhile to catch my breath because I do really enjoy watching basketball and there was no way that I would ever be able to pay for those tickets on my own. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.....let's just say we were so close that when I yelled the players heard me. BTW - we were on TV during halftime when the announcers were recaping the game.

Lastly, I received even better news earlier this week that I am going to keep under wraps until it physically is in my hand - but it's HUGE....and definitely relates to fashion! I can't wait to share it with you guys - literally!

I hope everyone is having a great week and Happy Hannukah to all my friends celebrating the last night tonight.

I'm A Maniac

Despite what people might think of the leg warmer fashion, I choose to sport it because A) they keep me warm and B) I actually like the look. It's gotten so cold here lately, and because I refuse to wear UGGlies, I am resorting to good ol' leg warmers to keep my hams warm.

Wearing them brings me back to the 80s....or the episode of Saved by the Bell where Jessie, Kelly and Lisa were in a singing group and created a very cheesy music video.  Who am I kidding though, Saved by the Bell was all sorts of cheesy, probably why I loved it so!

I will say though these suckers to keep your legs pretty warm.  I had all intention of taking them off when I got to work, but I was so cozy in them that they stayed on.


Needless to say, I think you'll be seeing more of these as the winter gets colder.

Coat: JCrew, Shirt & Sweater: H&M, Skirt: Thrifted, Tights: Nordstrom, Leg Warmers & Hat: From Mom in the Philippines, Necklace: Gap, Shoes: Tory Burch

On another note, I'm famous (sort of). I'm an avid reviewer on Yelp and one of my reviews was mentioned in last week's email blast for the Chicago area. Click here to check out my review on my fave new brunch spot, Cafe Meli!

And We're Back

We're back from our WONDERFUL vacay in Cancun! We stayed at this great resort called Dreams in Riviera Maya and it couldn't have been any better. We spent most of the time relaxing in, or by, the pool, but also had a chance to swim with dolphins...as well as dabble into a little bit of shopping of course!  

Here are some  pics from our amazing trip!  Can't wait to get back into the groove of blogging....the last 2 weeks have been a little chaotic and I'm ready to get back to it.  

Also, thanks to everyone's kind words as I was recovering from being sick...you guys are fantabulous!

The best way to pass time on a 4 hour a flight.....

Getting ready to land.

Our first dinner in Mexico.

One of the many sombrero pics taken throughout the week.

Private beach at our resort.

Where we were...obviously. :)

Looking for the best place to lay out on our first day there.

Swimming with the dolphins...no personal pictures allowed, we ended up buying the ones they took.

Lunch in Playa Del Carmen, where we did some shopping.

How we spent the entire week. 

Please Leave A Message After The.....

I'm 75% recovered from the sickness that stopped me from going to NY this week, but the 25% of sickness I have left isn't going to stop me from going to Cancun tomorrow. I'm officially on vacation and am looking forward to sunny weather. Until I get back, here's the ONLY outfit pic I took all week.

Since Tuesday, I've been living in sweats and my robe since I wasn't leaving the house. It was nice not having to worry about what I was going to wear that day, but not nice was the reason why I was in sweats.


As a child, I remember that staying home sick meant watching daytime shows that you never get to watch and camping in front of the TV to the point that my illness didn't bother me. However, as an adult it's not as much fun and in all honesty I have so much fun at work that being sick almost makes me feel like I'm missing out on something interesting.

Watching TV during the day has lost it's fun and lounging on the couch flipping through channels can get so boring.

Needless to say, I'm so glad that I was able to not only put on decent clothes this morning, but make up as well. Between us, I didn't even brush my hair a ton while I was sick - I mean really I went from laying in bed to laying on the couch, my hair was going to get messed up anyways.

Coat: Bennetton, Gloves: Adrienne Panelli, Hat & Leggings: Target, T-shirt: F21, Sweater: Press, Socks: Hue, Boots: BDG by way of Urban Outfitters, Purse: Foley+Corina, Scarf & Pin: Gifted

Well everyone hope you guys are keeping the sick germs away and enjoy the upcoming week!

Sad, But True

I'm supposed, emphasis on supposed, to be in NYC right now. In fact, right now I should be getting ready for a nice dinner at the great restaurant Quality Meats, but as luck would have it I've come down with bad cold/flu that has restricted me from going. I'm extremely bummed out as I was looking forward to this work trip, but I'm leaving for Mexico on Monday and my boss said that she would rather have me feeling better for that trip than going on this one. Needless to say I'm disappointed, but at the end of the day she's right - I do not want to be sick on my vacation.

On another note, I'm slightly torn about a pair of jeans that I purchased recently. On Monday night I was at The Blues Jean Bar entertaining some clients and decided to purchase a pair of Current Elliott Boyfriend jeans. However, I'm conflicted on whether or not I feel like these jeans are practical enough for me to keep.

I love them because they're comfy, but realistically I keep tossing back and forth on whether or not they're practical for me during the winter. Plus I can't wear heels until after I have my ankle surgery, so really I wouldn't be wearing them the way I'd want to.

So the question is, do I keep them or do I try to exchange them for something else?

Thoughts or advice?????

"My Name Is Kurt Hummel And I'll Be Auditioning For The Role of Kicker"

Anyone who has ever seen the show Glee, or considers themselves a "Gleek" like I do, will understand the title of my post. I love that show...it truly is such a feel good show and although it has humor, it isn't quite the comedy that people assume it to be. I love that show!

After my full day of shopping and being up at 4am to start my crazy day of shopping, I had no intentions of going out, but we had friends in town for the weekend and had to make an appearance. I was truly exhausted after almost 10 hours of shopping and was struggling to find the right outfit to wear.

You know that post-Turkey Day food choma you get where you're still extremely full from your meal the night before? I had that until last night and couldn't find the right thing to wear without feeling like the 12 pound turkey was sticking out of my stomach.


The key was to find something extremely forgiving and a lot of flexibility. Luckily, I never really wear jeans out cause denim wasn't really an option.


So despite the fact that I really didn't want to go out last night, I ended up having such a fun time...to the point that Matt was the one who had to ask if we could leave. Not a shocker, but I just expected that I would have made the first move considering how tired and hungover from food I was earlier.


And much to my surprise, my outfit ended up being something that I truly loved...Gotta love how control top tights work wonders. :) I also had to do a close up of my new ring because lately I've been obsessed with double fingered rings. I spotted one at a street vendor when I was in NY, but opted to not get it because I didn't love it. However, I regretted not getting it and ever since I have been looking for one. Luckily, F21 saved the day again and I found this one  that I bought in black and cream. The best part is that it's a tenth of what the one in NY cost at only $2.95 a piece. Can't beat that!

Suit jacket and scarf: Zara, Dress: Urban Outfitters, Black slip: Target, Tights: Hot Sox, Boots: Chinese Laundry, Bangles: H&M, Black bracelet: Gifted, Ring: F21, Headband: Won from Have A Cute Day's Giveaway

Lastly, since I mentioned Glee earlier, I have to leave you with a clip from the last episode that brought me to tears - literally. The kids in the Glee club are preparing for sectionals and were offering a scrimmage with some of their opposing clubs. Well it turns out that one of their competitors is a hearing impaired Glee club. Check out the clip below that literally gave me shivers and brought me to tears!

All I Want For Christmas....

Rebecca Minkoff's Mini Mini...Preferably in Royal or Navy Blue, but I also like this dark green color which is called "Envy".  There's also a Berry colored one floating around, but I've been wanting a navy blue bag for awhile so I think I'm going to make 2009 the year.

My husband has been asking me the last couple of days what I want for Christmas and typically by now I've compiled a list of everything I want, but this year there's really only one thing on my list.  This bag.  Bags are the thing I request for on Christmas and Birthdays.  For me, it's that one thing that I really want, but would never spend for on any normal day.  

I know that I truly want this bag because I've been wanting it since last Christmas.  Last year I debated between the Morning After Bag and a Botkier Jackie Hobo - I ended up getting the hobo, which I adore and truly love, but am still wanting this one.  Which to me means that I should get it if I've been thinking about it this long.  It truly is one of those bags that has longevity with style, similar to my Foley+Corina City Tote - which to this day is my favorite bag.

So this is it - Rebecca Minkoff's Mini Mini.  Luckily it's on sale right now on Rebecca Minkoff's site for $185 from $330, so the true question is - will the hubby take advantage of the sale price that ends on Sunday?  Or will he wait til last minute and pay full price?

The Only Thing That Matters Most

This is my 3rd Thanksgiving in Chicago and since we've moved here, it's been tradition that we do Turkey Day on our own. Although it may seem a little lonesome without having family to share a special day with, in all reality, I'm thankful that I can enjoy it with the one person who matters most - my husband. Every year we go back and forth with the family debate of "Who do spend the holidays with this year?" and Thanksgiving is the one holiday that is never really a debate.


Don't get me wrong, I love spending time with our families, but as with any relationship (whether it be friendship or love), the more years go by, the more you tend to disregard and take for granted what that person offers you.  It's so simple to forget the things that make you love them so much, when there are so many daily distractions that keep you from remembering.


While Thanksgiving is truly a day of being thankful for all the great things that have come into our lives, it's also a day to fully appreciate those things. Because it's easy for me to get upset about a toilet seat that's left up or a dog that hasn't been walked, it makes Thanksgiving that much more special to me since I'm fully appreciating the things that I love about my husband.

For example standing outside in the rain this morning waiting for the parade to start, then realizing that I just wanted to go home. Or understanding that tomorrow morning's retail therapy session is a tradition for me and giving me a "Get Out of Jail Free" card with my purchases because of the good deals I get. And lastly, putting up with un-controllable mood swings that sometimes I can never predict. It's things like that, that should never be taken for granted, but unfortunately are.

Which is why it makes Thanksgiving is so much more special to me because we rarely get moments to just appreciate each other. With the balance of work, family and friends - it's easy for us to just get caught up and unfortunately "too busy", but this is the one holiday that I always look forward to because we do it our way and in a way that makes spending time with each other that much better.

Coat: JCrew, Tunic: Old Navy, Leggings: F21, Socks: Hue, Boots: Dingo, Scarf/Gloves: Gifted from Mom, Hat: Urban Outfitters

I hope everyone is having the most WONDERFUL time with their loved ones and it should go without saying that I'm EXTREMELY thankful to have each and every one of you be a part of my life!

A Moment Of Thanks

Ahhh, for a week that's suppose to be short and sweet, it sure feels long and exhausting! My work week has been crazy, but it will make the next 2 weeks well worth it. As of next week I officially start living out of my suitcase with a trip to NY, then my much needed trip to Cancun. I can't wait. Until then, I have half a day of work to survive tomorrow and it's going to kick me in the caboose.

With it being the week of Thanksgiving, I really can't go without really giving thanks for many of the things that I'm extremely grateful to have in my life. Today, despite the crazy long days I've been having, I'm thankful for my job. I consider myself to be VERY fortunate to not only have a great career (not a job, a career) in the industry I wanted to work in ever since I was a little girl, but feel extremely lucky to have a fabulous boss and great co-workers.

Everyday I laugh louder at work than the day before with co-workers that I truly consider my friends. I spend my days working hard, but playing harder with co-workers who quote Friends, The Office and Modern Family as much as I do.

I've been asked before about what I do, and without disclosing too much information on my job, I can tell you that I work in TV and that I do marketing/promotions. It's a job that is truly unique, one of a kind and extremely fitting of my personality.

So to my wonderful co-workers that make everyday enjoyable, the job that I truly love and a boss that I admire - Thank you for making every challenging moment well worth while.

Jacket: Priorities, Blazer: Zooey, Shirt and Shoes: Gap, Jeans: Citizens of Humanity, Belt: RL (Thrifted), Hat: Boutique in Seattle, Messenger Bag: Louis Vuitton