Bottled Up Stamina

"if only your stamina could be bottled up and sold..." -s

she might just be right after what was a crazy event packed weekend of cocktails, family, and great times with friends.

friday started off right with a happy hour that turned into a couple hours at o'callaghans followed by a girlfriend's bridal shower. saturday began with a lakefront walk, doc b's, our niece's 3rd bday celebration, and ended with a celine dance party (is there any better way to end a sat night??). sunday was church then brunch at little market followed by the weekend's highlight- bagpipes & bonfire. yep, i said it, and you are asking "what is bagpipes and bonfire?" it's traveling to scotland for the afternoon. it's men in tartan kilts, pony rides, skydivers, tractor rides, one fabulous bbq spread, and a killer bonfire. it's an autumnal party i am sure glad i didn't miss.

often i get questioned why i say yes all the time or run myself into a state of exhaustion???...while i am the first one to appreciate a night at home (like i am doing now), i also like to pour myself into (almost) anything because you never really know what each day will bring. you have to live in the moment and jump on opportunities & fun invitations. i am a big believer (along with blake lively) that when you wake up in the morning you should say to yourself, "there is no reason today can't be the best day of my life," for real, try it. are you laughing!? well, i think its true. so when i was lying on my bed enjoying the peace and quiet after church & brunch contemplating my next move-- i decided to dismiss my lack of energy and minor cough to go with friends to an event i knew close to nothing about, but sure enough i am already looking back on it as a highlight of 2013 (thanks bestie, sarah, & j!).

go ahead, try telling yourself tomorrow morning, "there is no reason today can't be the best day of my life." you may too find that your stamina should be bottled up and sold. #stys

xx,
c

(photos taken by c)

Three for 5 o'clock

c's pick - tom ford, jay z 

s's pick - big parade, the lumineers

k's pick - hurricane, ms mr

after what has been a crazy week for all three of us, we are ready to unwind...

above is what we will be putting on at 5 o'clock today. TGIF

xx,
k, s, & c

p.s. cocktail we are trying tonight...

ginger apple bourbon

3 oz. bourbon

6 oz. apple cider

6 oz. ginger beer

Dreaming of Capri

this morning i woke up to my alarm blaring, wishing i could doze for just a few more minutes... walking through the flower lined streets of capri. streets no wider than an arms length, filled with the aroma of lemon, herbs, flowers and garlic. grapes growing on the cliff sides, tomatoes ripe for picking and every turn leading down a path to a breathtaking view unlike any other.

it has been just two weeks, but this morning it felt like minutes. oh, what i would give to hit snooze and continue to fall in love all over again. because that's what capri does, it makes you fall in love.

the beauty of travel. the beauty of new experiences. the desire to be part of something bigger than our everyday life. capri is a reminder to always keep dreaming and exploring the world. all we have is a lifetime and life is far too short to hold back on memories like these...

here's to another day of skipping my sbux latte, a few weeks of diy mani/pedi and enjoying some weekends at home cooking - all with our next trip in mind. 

xx,
k 

(photos taken by k) 

That's Life

it was not that long ago i decided to shake up my life or shake it out for that matter...call it a quarter life crisis, but i was at a point where i woke up one day and said, enough is enough. it's time to go for it.  i hit a breaking point where nothing seemed to make sense anymore. my relationship, my job, and the life that i was choosing. maybe it was running to florence's shake it out on repeat that inspired me to take a leap of faith or heck, call it cliff jumping but whatever it was, i was inspired to make some changes. 

sure enough, i found myself letting go of my boyfriend of six years, fulfilling my dream of moving home to chicago and starting a new job all within six months. for the first time, in a long time, i was not ignoring that little voice in my head, that gut feeling that was telling me i needed to make it happen. it was energizing, scary, and at times, felt completely insane. it was a lot and happened quickly, but here i am - no regrets.

last night i caught up with an old friend, one of those people that no matter how long it has been, you can pick up right where you left off... i was telling him about the last year, how it hasn't always been easy and it has been a lot. his response, "yea, but that's life. life is like that." he was right. it isn't always easy. it can be confusing and it doesn't always work out the way you imagined. but in the end, i wouldn't have it any other way. in this case, he told you so. :) thank you ty.

here's to waking up, making it happen, and to florence...shake it out. that's life.

but it's always darkest before the dawn...
shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa

xx,

s

Until Next Summer

we can't believe summer 2013 has come and gone. it wasn't all sunny-blue-skies for us (there were some storms to get thru), but there were many highlights. before we officially say so long sweet summer, we wanted to share a few snaps with you...

 lakeside at cyc

sailing summer thanks to our aunt & uncle

goldcoast

pitchers (and pitchers) of hub punch

jay z & jt

4th of july

bright colors

lumineers at the vic

summer runs

we're trading in our seabreezes and pitchers of hub punch for wine & hot toddies. mmm' we can taste them already... 

xx,
k, s, & c

(photos via c's insta, s's insta, & STYS insta)

Three Layers For Fall

c's layer - j.crew horsing around sweatshirt

 s's layer - madewell flannel boyshirt

k's layer - joie marlo silk top

sunday marks the first official day of fall. so long to a summer of sundresses... hello to fall layering. we're all (major) advocates of getting some layer essentials. joie, vince, madewell, and j.crew are our go-tos for layering for all three of us. tissue thin blouses, cashmere sweaters, and plaid button downs are just a few must haves on our long list of layers. what's on your list?... 

happy weekend all!

xx,

k, s, & c 

Screen Shot

while i was at work yesterday, i was trying to snap photos of our showroom build out & quickly got flustered because my iphone memory was full. my first thought: i have to delete some of my photos a.k.a. memories? no way. my reaction to this definitely had my boss laughing (leave it to me to have a photo filled iphone at max capacity).

as i finished uploading everything to avoid the horrible act of deleting a single thing, i stumbled on screen shots of text messages from a past crush. you know that moment when you come across something and you get that feeling in the pit of your stomach? the moment you text your sister the screen shot of the text so you don't feel alone with your feelings. it's that photo/memory, email from an ex, or in this case, screen shot of a text message that brings you back. dammit c, why save so many memories?

well i let myself sulk momentarily, well maybe more than a few moments...only being honest here, but the moment passed and just like that, i poured another glass of pinot, put on my favorite audrey hepburn movie, and texted with my sister to distract me from that inevitable feeling in my chest. for a moment i thought to delete those texts or "memories", but instead i kept them. as weird as one may thinks this sounds, life moves on but every once in awhile, its nice to be reminded of what was, because it is also a reminder of where you have been and why you are where you are now, as my sister said, "it's ok you feel that way, let yourself. it's ok." yeah, it is ok, and on that note i might just pour myself one more glass of wine... 

xx,
c

(photo via pinterest)

Fallen. For. Venice.

it's already been seven years since i sat in piazza san marco...but just like that, i can still close my eyes and hear the sound of the music playing in the square, taste the cappucino, and feel the undeniable romance of what i can say without hesitation is the most magical city in the world. oh la dolce vita...how sweet it really is. 

so as you can imagine, i was pretty excited to open my mailbox today to find out j.crew traveled all the way to venice and brought out that magic in every page of their latest style guide. 

no need to pack my bag, please just send pages 5, 6, 19, 20 and 30 to the hotel danieli. meet me at harry's bar for a bellini. ;) if only...

harry's bar, calle vallaresso, 1323 30124 venezia italy

arrivederci!

s

(photos via j.crew october style guide)

In The Streets

 

totally guilty of fashion street stalking, especially during nyfw. i'm constantly inspired by fellow blogger style and always think "oh, never thought to do that!" i especially love amy, mary, and sally in this last photo. they're all looking tre fab in their black + white, but you can tell they are in the moment having an amazing time. amen sisters.

xx,
c

(photos via pinterest, details, harpers bazaar)

Play That Card

(jcrew boyfriend jeans // madewell camden tote // madewell modern blazer // jcrew houndstooth sweater // loeffler randall booties)

i just got that little twinge of excitement that only comes with that first cool breeze after a long hot august, but also with the thought of that fall shopping wishlist that is now dancing around in my head.

have you ever asked yourself, "what do i need to do this week in order to afford those 'i-have-to-have' loeffler randall booties you eyed at bloomies?" being the queen of rationalization, i play that card. i will cut out my daily sbux addiction and have a few saturday nights at home... well maybe not cut out sbux completely.

this week, i made my "have-to-have," i'll drink coffee at home, stay in with a bottle of wine wish list...

xx,
s

p.s. have you seen leo's take on gatsby? no time like the present...

Three To Go Do

one: impressionism, fashion & modernity

two: green city market

three: visit the lakefront (& take in what's left of summer)

the fashion exhibit at the art institute is to-die-for... just ask c & her bestie #hetoldyouso. a mix of paintings and lavish garments - it's one exhibit to not be missed.

the green city market is always a spot for us to get some floral crush arrangements and whether you're running, walking or boating, there is nothing like summertime on lake michigan.three to go do before summer is long gone... get to it...

happy weekend all! 

xx,

k, s, & c

Turning A New Page

"I had always imagined paradise as a kind of library." - Jorge Luis Borges

_________________________________________________

my bestie summed it up perfectly, "i didn't read the book, but i did read the cliff notes on wikipedia and it sounded great," i couldn't relate more. i am guilty. guilty of not picking up a book and reading it front to back. much like my bestie - i find myself on wikipedia. i am so envious of my step-dad and sisters who read books weekly. you're probably asking yourself, "well if she is envious then pick up a book!" i don't know what it is - unless it gets me in the first sentence, i am already reaching for instyle mag. so here's to turning over a new leaf. a collection of books I plan to read in no particular order: 

grace

fairy tale interrupted

lean in - s's reco

divergent - skinny buddha's reco

any books you would recommend to add to the list?

xx,

c

Italy Through The Lens

this week we've loved checking our gmail inboxes. k's husband has sent us emails with the subject line www.picturesofmywifetakingpictures.com. we're loving everything about these photos. k has a marketing & chicago tourism day job, but we've always thought she needs to (for real) take up photog. we're hoping we can keep bugging her about it until she agrees to open a studio.

xx,
s & c

p.s. we're mentally adding the stone + cloth lucas back pack to our Nordstrom carts. #STYS

(photos taken by k's husband)