October Link Love

adminUncategorized%s Comments

20131001-155753.jpg

We are having house guests in a few weeks and I see us all drinking coffee while hot loaves of these breads come out of the oven.

To add to that cozy hosting fantasy, I should probably make this Masala Chai.

This tote made me laugh and reminds me of my friend Megan.

I DVR’ed Hocus Pocus last night- there are so many reasons why it’s the best Halloween movie ever.

Counting Crows’ August and Everything After is 20 years old and still one of my favorite albums of all time.

I have my eye on these wedges that would be a nice alternative to boots or heels this Fall.

Happy 1st Day of October!

Baked Apples

adminUncategorized%s Comments

20130929-225423.jpg

The big question of fall cooking,
for me, is “Will this make my house smell amazing?” and if the answer is yes, I consider it a done deal. Apples halved with a little butter, cinnamon and brown sugar, baked at 400 degrees for 30 minutes and topped with vanilla bean ice cream hit the smell requirement and was the perfect treat to end a lovely weekend.

20130929-225746.jpg

Family Resemblance

adminUncategorized%s Comments

20130929-211738.jpg

Fun fact: my great grandfather Giuseppe was once arrested because the police thought he was Al Capone. I love this big image of Old Scarface at Untitled because while my great grandfather did not peddle illegal booze or run an organized crime ring, I’d like to think he’d appreciate us having prohibition-style cocktails at an underground bar with live jazz. Sorry about the arrest thing though, G.

Warby Parker Class Trip

adminUncategorized%s Comments

20130928-180248.jpg

I ordered my first pair of Warby Parker glasses 3 years ago, love them, Ryan is waiting for his 3rd pair to come in the mail and I was contemplating getting another pair when we came across this on our morning walk: the Warby Parker bus. On a cross-country “class trip“, this bus will be at Halsted and North Ave until mid-October and has the full collection to try on. So instead of waiting for 5 try-on pairs to come in the mail, I boarded the bus, checked out their super cool collection of 1st & 2nd edition books and chose my glasses. And all I left the house wanting this morning was coffee. Warby Parker is about the most convenient (and at $95 a pair, the cheapest) thing ever and this adorable little bus just took it to another (hipster chic) level.

20130928-180747.jpg

20130928-180849.jpg

Illumine Chicago

adminUncategorized%s Comments

20130927-093953.jpg

This is Lourdes (isn’t she so beautiful??) and last night was a big celebration for her- it was the launch of her magazine! Illumine Chicago is a magazine dedicated to yoga and wellness in Chicago. This yoga community is amazing and when Lourdes saw the opportunity to create a space to unite, celebrate and share that community, she put out the call and attracted some of the brightest writers, photographers and editors in the city, they connected with people making an impact and boom- Illumine Chicago’s premier issue is out.

It’s a beautiful publication and I am always so moved when I see people identifying a need in the community and using their passions to fill it. I first met Lourdes 4 years ago when I took her class- not only was the class amazing but you just knew that this woman was a gift to everyone who rolled out their mat in her studio. Congratulations to Lourdes and her team- thank you for taking the home you’ve created in Chicago yoga and sharing those gifts with all of us.

20130927-095232.jpg

Monday Monogram Love

adminUncategorized%s Comments

20130923-222722.jpg

You meet one Dallas socialite and it’s all “omg, Courtney, I need your necklace.” And big hair. And bold personality. But mostly, that necklace.

I met the fab Courtney Kerr this summer and when we went to work out one day (Jesus, take the board), I noticed she rocked her CK necklace the whole class. Looking at her blog, she styles that monogrammed necklace with everything- dressed up, dressed down, layered, solo- and it turns out, it’s a part of the collection she designed for Bauble Bar. So in a fit of “Nina Loves Dallas”, I ordered my NG necklace, have been wearing it nonstop and gotten so many comments on it that I wanted to share this bit of lettered love. And it’s Monday so maybe you need a jeweled treat the way I do.

The other good news is that “Nina Loves Dallas” isn’t a thing but “Courtney Loves Dallas” is and it premieres on Bravo soon. Maybe I’ll learn about the big hair thing then.

Fridays and Sunsets

adminUncategorized%s Comments

20130920-212238.jpg

I savored every sunset in our old place downtown and wondered if I would ever get over how striking the pinks, yellows and blues looked against skyscrapers and highways. Walking out on to our new porch tonight and seeing this makes me feel like the view is going to be pretty darn great here as well.

Happy. Friday.