Totally Kismet

"a friend is someone who knows the song in your heart, and can sing it back

 to you when you have forgotten the words."

fate. destiny. meant to be.

i am not sure if i believe in any of this....entirely. i think you ultimately are the one that makes, creates your destiny, whatever and with whom ever that is. recently though, a friend came back into my life that i can say without a doubt was entirely kismet, fateful, and 100 percent meant to be.

cp and i were best friends in pre-school but eventually lost touch by the time we made it through high school...it took re-connecting at our 10 year high school reunion to make us beg the question, why aren't we hangin out, aka long-lost best friends, now that we both live in chicago?!?

after all these years, cp still knows the song in my heart...a girls dinner date led us to immediately bonding like we hadn't missed a beat since we were 4 years old. we even shared a similar story...heartbreak from the summer before with guys that had each taken us on trips to st. john. heck, the guys almost sounded like they could have been brothers...painstakingly similar. it was as if someone knew what i was feeling and thinking without having to explain it...we started talking about our memories of st. john, a place that we both fell in love with but also a place where we desperately wanted to make new memories and re-claim it as a place of our own.

cp asked me, "have you heard of the 8 Tuff Miles?" i immediately knew where this conversation was going. "i have not, but i am SO in." within just days of dinner, cp and i had booked flights, a place to stay and started our countdown to february 28, 2015. 

the 8 Tuff Miles is the biggest race in the virgin islands, starting at cruz bay taking you directly across the island to coral bay, an extremely hilly terrain with the highest altitude reaching almost 1,000 feet. WE ARE PUMPED. 

what better way to turn 30 this year? alot of training, runs, hill climbing, ending it with a week in the islands with your best friend (don't forget the painkillers, extra nutmeg please!) :). 

totally kismet. 100 percent meant to be. 

xx,

s

p.s. cp, i am so grateful to have you in my life and to share this amazing adventure with you! 

(picture via 8 Tuff Miles)

Three To Check Out (Soon)

s's pick - kinmont

c has been talking about this place and we can't 

wait to go check it out together soon! 

c's pick - owen + alchemy

my mom got me hooked on juicing (yep one of those people) so i am counting 

down until this spot opens this month. rumor has it there will be

one in the west loop in addition to the logan sq location soon! 

k's pick - stella barra
w & me still haven't tried this pizza spot yet.
we love summer house so it's likely we like this spot too.

happy friday, all! 

tgif,

k, s, & c

(pictures via kinmont, o+a, stella barra)

Alexa & Poppy

we.love.this. friendship really can feel like a love affair...

alexa & poppy are pretty much (fashion) super humans with what seems like very kind hearts. we really do love this feature in this month's the edit. skinny buddha raised us to be supportive of friends and loved ones. we can't agree more with this, "you get so much more out of life by being supportive and having loving friends who are there for you. good friendship can make your heart light; it can make you feel giddy; it can make you feel like when you fall in love. when you’re with a good group of girls, they do something for you that a boy can’t." amen, a & p.

to all our girlfriends out there (you know who you are), thanks for allowing us to have our own kind of love affairs!

xx,
k, s, & c

(pictures via the edit)

La Bonne Vie

there are two things i am pretty passionate about. fashion + food. to me they go pretty much hand in hand. any way, my friend sent this blog to me a couple months ago knowing that i would add it quickly to my book mark of blogs that i visit daily. boy were they right! not only do i have a girl crush and goal of livin' like mimi in france... her photos, recipes, and stories pull you in (at least for me). her cute kiddos don't hurt either ;) those close to me (a.k.a. my grandma & step bro nick) always joke that i am a total chicago girl who may one day pick up and to say to hell with it to live abroad. never say never, right?

well, besides wanting to share mimi's great blog that you too should add to your blogroll... she just released a sneak peek of her new cookbook out this fall which you can pre-order here. photos below. jouir!

baisers,
c

(pictures mimi thorisson)

Remi Canarie

it's time for you to get to know the designs behind fashion line remi canarie that k, s, & c have fallen head over designs for. we're sure some of you have heard of them as they are sold exclusively at roam in old town and are big up & comers in the fashion industry. c had seen their designs at roam, but got lucky to meet & see liz & lisa's (the design duo behind the line) lecture at the arts club of chicago a few weeks ago. their designs are just as great/fab as the two behind the line are. it may sound cliche, but c left the lecture feeling insanely inspired by the two of them to never give up on chasing your dreams.

"we design for the entrepreneurial women. the ones who are fearless, dedicated, confident and may work in let's say the tech world, but aren't afraid to stand out & wear pieces like ours." -liz & lisa of remi canarie

this won't be the last time we post on liz & lisa. we're just getting started, but take a look at their sp/su 2014 designs. it's definitely more about having less in your closet and just having the right go to pieces. that is what their designs are to us.

for any sales inquires, email lisa@remicanarie.com / liz@remicanarie.com be sure to keep up to insta/tweet/fb with them too!

xx,
k, s, & c

(pictures via remi canarie)

The ULTIMATE Dream Man

what man in your life inspires you, energizes your soul, makes you feel beautiful, dances like michael,

gives you arms like kelly, a booty like beyonce and leaves you feeling fabulously sexy?? meet everett, the ULTIMATE dream man.

if you haven't taken his class at Flywheel Chicago, you need to. whether you are single or married, you REALLY do need this fun lovin’ guy in your life.

c and i have been taking his 6:30 class on mondays and we have to say, there really is no better way to start the work week. everett is a true gem and one of those extraordinary people you feel lucky to share your time with (even if it is in a dark room, sweatin' like crazy, cyclin' in place to the likes of whitney, beyonce, gaga and shakira). :) not only is his class a blast and a great workout but one of our favorite parts of an evening with everett is the way he makes you feel from the moment you walk in the door til the moment you finish that last 8 count of insanity in the final song of the ride.

always with a smile on his face, he has an energizing spirit that is a true inspiration. you can't help but walk away from his class on an "everett high". we will be getting our fly on tonight at 6:30, who is ready to find your dream man?? 

meet our friend, life guru and fly extraordinaire....everett

chicago is… my dream come true, a beautiful gem by a sparkling lake, a place where you can ALWAYS add gravy to anything, my home, and the only place i want to be...

my fav Fly playlist would include... whitney houston. I miss her every day of my life!

everett"isms"… "the higher the hill, the higher the booty."  "the key to success is believing you can succeed. believe it. RIGHT NOW."  "you are beautiful. and i know because i'm looking at you."  "just remember: all those time when you think you can't, YOU JUST DID."  "love your self.  love your body.  and spread some love into the world."

love is... the most precious treasure we can ever get in this life.  make the effort to fill your heart so full of it that there's room for little else.  and remember: heartache is a reminder of just how precious it really is.  so embrace it all.  it's worth it.  i promise!

who is your biggest girl/guy crush… jake shears from the scissor sisters has always made me a bit weak in the knees.  if that's cliche, so be it.  he's totally hot!  oh.  and ana matronic.  and babydaddy, too.  sooooooo, basically i have a crush on the scissor sisters.  and i'm okay with it.

what is on your bucket list… i want to run a marathon.  i want to own a home.  i want to visit India and New Zealand.  I want to find a love that burns so brightly for so long that my life seemed incomplete before.  I want to watch my niece grow into a beautiful woman.  I want to live each day of my life with gratitude for everything I can do and determination to try everything I think I can't.  I want to laugh, constantly.  I want to see our society find a way to care deeply and unconditionally for one another.  I want to learn to crochet and quilt.  I want to bake a perfect quiche.  I want to be happy.

cocktail or wine?  cocktail, always.  cucumber vodka and soda.  it's like salad-flavored heaven in a glass (and low calorie!)

favorite book... The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. i read it in 2nd grade for the first time. at least once a year, I reread the same copy of it.

what famous people would you invite to a dinner party? i'd love to sit down with my favorite musicians and singers: Kylie Minogue, Kelly Clarkson, Beth Ditto from Gossip, Bonnie Raitt, Tori Amos, Darren Hayes, RuPaul, and Sam Smith, just to name a few.  they all inspire me in different ways and drive me to do my very best, both on and off the bike.  music is such an integral part of my life!  (And if they were unavailable, I'd be just as happy having dinner with all of my amazing colleagues at Flywheel.  Talk about heroes!)

on a Sunday morning, you can find me... laughing over brunch with friends in andersonville, lounging on my couch with my cat zebrah, or sweating out the weekend at the gym!  (a ride at Flywheel really is the best hungover cure. i swear!)

on a Saturday night, you can find me.... in the stadium teaching the 5:30pm class at Flywheel!  but after, anything is fair game.  i love dancing the night away in boystown, cooking for friends at home, or exploring some unknown corner of this amazing city! as long as i'm surrounded by my friends, i don't really care what happens because i know it will be great.

what is the best advice you have ever received… it's all even in the end. if it's not even, it's not the end. so don't worry about it.

xx,

s & c 

p.s. his class always books up quickly, be sure to have a reminder set on your phone at 5pm on sundays when the weekly class block becomes available for reservation!

(pictures via Lori Cannava)

Three For Lunch

c's pick - blue door farm stand

i simply can't get enough of this spot on armitage. the kale salad,

sandwiches and fresh juices... you won't be disappointed!

k's pick - le pain

new to the west loop and it's rivaling 

little goat for my husband and me!

s's pick - brown bag seafood

fresh shrimp tacos, cocktails in mason jars & 

quick service... and conveniently by my apt!

definitely check out these new(er) spots! we're all pretty much addicted to all three!

xx,

k, s, & c

(pictures via bdfs, le pain, bbsf)