Have a Super Weekend!

I love the Super Bowl – not that I'm a diehard football fan – but for the halftime show, the commercials, and the beautiful buffet of delicious snacks. My go-to contribution is also the easiest recipe I know. This buffalo chicken dip takes 20 minutes to make, and almost 2 minutes to disappear.

ingredients
• 1 package light cream cheese or neufchatel
• 2 C shredded chicken (tip: cut cooked chicken breast into halves, place in mixer with paddle attachment and in about 10 seconds you have perfectly shredded chicken!).
• 1/2 C Frank's Red Hot Sauce
• 1/2 low fat blue cheese dressing
• 1/2 C blue cheese crumbles

place all ingredients in shallow pyrex dish, mix together until blended. Bake at 350º for 20 minutes and serve with veggies and tortilla chips. 

Also this weekend ...

• Before the big game, get your girlie fix this Saturday at the 5th annual Indie Wed at Ravenswood Event Center. Grab your engaged friend/sister/self and peruse all the pretty vendors and taste the delicious treats. Tickets are available here, get 20% off with code SOCIAL.

• The fabulous french brand, Maje, just opened their Oak street store this week. Every collection they put out is impeccable – but I'm especially swooning over this sweater jacket and this flirty LBD.

• Chicago Restaurant Week runs through this weekend. Get a res at those usually pricey spots you've been wanting to try. I'm excited to try Embeya tonight!

Have a super weekend!

Photo courtesy of Pinterest

My Winter Uniform

We're in for a warm up! That's right people, it's going to be in the 20's for the next few days. I try to reserve the serious sleeping-bag-down-coat for the real cold (which, in Chicago, means sub zero), so when the "normal" winter weather is around, I like to use my plethora of coats and add warm layers. I've pretty much been living in the uniform below – it's warm and comfortable, but chic enough to go from lunch to shopping to drinks and dinner.    

black coat with zippers  //  buckle biker boot  //  slim turtleneck  //  skinny black jeans  //  cable knit slouch cap  //  faux fur vest  //  black satchel  

Spring Prep

What's a girl to do in this sub-zero weather besides daydream of spring? I've already laid out the perfect warm weather outfit in my head: rolled up jeans, a feathery top and espadrilles. I used to wear espadrilles as a kid – but the pairs available now are way cuter! I recently discovered the brand Kaanas – I was instantly drawn to their adorable patterns and designs – but fell in love when I read that each pair is handmade in Colombia in collaboration with a local weaving mill, inspired by the Wayuu tribe (which sustains itself through their traditional weavings).     

Hey ... it may be a few months before I can wear them, but I like to plan ahead!

Photos courtesy of Kaanas

Winter Blues

The goods:
• dress from Anthropologie
• HUE tights
• studded belt from ASOS
• ankle boots from Zara 

After spending the last few weeks wrapped in thick sweaters and enough knit blankets to keep even a hint of a chill out, dressing up for dinner last weekend was a welcome change. Just because I wanted to spruce up a little, doesn't mean I wanted any fuss. I scored this silk dress from the sale racks at Anthropologie for $40 – I was instantly drawn to the loose, flowy fit, but I love how just adding a belt defines the waist and evening ready. And you can't beat an evening look that includes my trusty leggings.  

Warm Up with Vegan Chili

Brrr ... I mean this winter won't quit! On chilly days like this, nothing else warms the soul like a hot bowl of chili. Steve and I are experimenting with vegetarian and vegan meals (you know, to balance out our love of red meat) so I made up this recipe for vegan chili ... with just enough spice to keep it flavorful ...  

ingredients
1 package Soyrizo

1 can tomato sauce

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can black beans

2 can kidney beans

1 can sweet corn

12 C. chopped cilantro

1 diced onion

dash of ancho chili pepper

dash of cayenne pepper

saute Soyrizo and onion over medium heat, mix in remaining ingredients over medium heat, garnish with fresh cilantro. 

Have a Great Weekend!

Happy winter weekend! It's been a cold week, but we're lucky to get a "warm up" this weekend (we're looking at near 30 degrees, people!). If you're like me and just want to hibernate in this weather, there are plenty of awesome online sales going on right now ...

• Theory is having their online warehouse sale, with items up to 80% off (!). If I could choose one brand to build my wardrobe, it would be Theory, so picking favorite items too hard (but I adore these, and this, and this ... and that rockin' coat above).

• J.Crew is offering an extra 40% off already reduced items with code byewinter. Since I'm deep in vacay withdrawal, I'm loving this caftan coverup, and someone with an adorable petit size 6 foot needs these for when the snow melts. 

• If you do venture out, swing by Luxury Garage Sale for their warehouse sale (big name designer duds at 65% off? Worth facing the cold, fo sho). 

Have a great weekend!

Photo courtesy of Theory

Life's a Beach

Between Steve and me, we've been to a ton of places around the world ... but none other rivals the island of Vieques in Puerto Rico. With only a handful of hotels, an nothing americanized about the island, this place is a rare untouched gem in the Caribbean. Below are some of our fave spots on the small strip of land ...

Playa Grande 
As the name suggests, it's one of the longest strips of beach. 



Playa Negra
Named for the black sand on the water's edge, this beach was worth the 20 minute hike through tropical foliage. Our reward? A few of the island's many wild horses galloping down the beach.



Blue Horizon Boutique Hotel
Our incredible accommodations included amazing food, the friendliest staff, and despite being full last week, rarely another person in view.



Sun Bay
This beach was one of the more popular spots (which means there were about 10 other people besides us) and a killer sunset view.



Secret Beach
Is just that – tucked away off a little road is the most spectacular tiny beach. 



Media Luna
This beach, named for being a half moon shape, was the most calm spot – both because of the water and the fact we were alone (and yes, you just pull your jeep right up to the sand).



Playa La Plata
One of the most beautiful spots, again no more than 3-4 other people around.    

So to recap: Isolated beaches, wild horses, amazing Caribbean food, some of the friendliest people I've ever met ... yup, Vieques takes the vaca-cake. 

Aaand We're Back

So it was 86 in Puerto Rico and it's 20 degrees in Chicago today ... just great. We jetted off to a little island off of San Juan called Vieques and let me tell you, this place is beautiful, I will share all of my favorites tomorrow (spoiler: there are wild horses!).  

The nice thing about Vieques is it's only a 4-5 hour flight from Chicago, so you don't need to take weeks off of work.

A few other nearby destinations totally worth heading to as we enter this second (!) polar vortex ...

• Punta Cana, Dominican Republic – this place has amazing beaches and a rich culture, you can even visit their cocoa bean plantations.

• Nassau, Bahamas – you've probably heard of the massive wonderland called The Atlantis Resort, but did you know you can stay for (much) cheaper across the street and still have full access to all of those glorious pools?

• Without leaving the states, head to the super chill/hip/beautiful Soho Beach House in Miami. Every inch of this place is perfectly rustic yet polished, with their perfectly serene pool and full service beach front (bonus points for the amazing Cowshed products throughout).

Stay warm! (or get outta town).

Best of 2013: Holiday Decor

Of course, my favorite time of the year – both for the jolly atmosphere and the decorating!
........................

I love the holiday season – the spiced drinks, wrapping gifts for loved ones, and probably most of all, the decor. While I love the smell of a fresh balsam fur, we just don't have the room (which could be due in part to my filling our place to the brim with furniture). So I've found other ways to turn our place into a winter wonderland, even the smallest spaces deserve a little holiday spirit!    

Best of 2013: Our Interior Refresh

After arriving home from France, we immediately got to work revamping our own interior a bit (always a work in progress, of course).
...............................

When Steve and I moved in together years ago, I think we did a fairly good job of blending my vintage style with his more contemporary. But after being so inspired by the amazing interiors in France, we immediately got to work giving our place a mini-makeover upon return. It didn't take much to brighten our living space and give it a bit more sophistication ...

Our entry wall before ...

After ... 
A much more functional use of space, this salvaged shelving unit from Nadeau actually serves a pretty purpose with added storage.


Our living space before ...

After ... 
a new coat of paint and new couch, my handy husband added reclaimed wood to our CB2 coffee table, we swapped out the old artwork for this bright mirror, and I made over our Ikea side tables to be gold with white lacquer top. 



Next up ... An update to our bedroom and a french-inspired guest room.

Best of 2013: R&R at our B&B

After Petit Trianon, our B&B may be my other fave. The quaint house, with it's amazing decor was almost enough to keep in inside the entire time!
.........................

To complete my French vacation highlights, I have to share a little sliver of French country perfection. Our bed and breakfast in the Champagne region was better than I could've dreamt! The old four story house was impeccably decorated with a mix of French country traditional and modern elements. Steve and I sat eating croissant and café one morning and we agreed to do a mini home makeover of our place right then and there. La Parenthèse is a little slice of French heaven (complete with it's own secret garden!) which I highly recommend.    

Best of 2013: Petit Trianon

Of all the beautiful places we visited in France, Petit Trianon and it's grounds are my new fave place on Earth 
..........................



The other day I posted some of the pretty scenes from the Palace of Versailles – and as gorg as it was, my heart swelled when we visited one of the smaller residences on the grounds ... Petit Trianon. Marie-Antoinette would retreat here, trading in the incredibly ornate palace for the much more simple, but no less beautiful, Petit Trianon, a little over a mile down the most lovely tree-lined road. With a lot less gold and more stunning stone work and white washes, this place made me instantly rethink my entire home decor ...